


The Power of Two

by MarcelinaRose



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Vocaloid Song, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Evil Plans, Gen, Guard Roxas, I'm Bad At Tagging, Keyblades Exist, Magical Inheritance, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Past Character Death, Past Memory Alteration, Prince Ventus, Separated Twins AU, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:22:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24649405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcelinaRose/pseuds/MarcelinaRose
Summary: A sinister plot to take control of the ancient Kingdom Hearts results in the separation of Scala Ad Caelum's twin princes. The Crown Prince has been deemed dead, and his younger brother, Ventus, is now scheduled to inherit the throne. Ten years have passed, and a special guard unit has been made for the sole purpose of protecting the Crown Prince as he approaches the age to take the throne. One particular member of the group is the long lost prince proclaimed to be dead.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Roxas & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	1. Return

The bells tolling in the towers indicated it was noon. They rang across the kingdom, being able to be heard from the mountains and rivers over the borders into the unknown. The wind brushed through the trees and blew leaves onto the cobblestone and brick pavement roads of Scala Ad Caelum bustling with noise and chatter from the civilians shopping at various stalls. Children ran through the plaza with grins and laughter, doing their best not to run anyone over in the process, and headed down the main roads.

They passed a trio of figures in black hoods: the oldest of the group had a slim build and fiery red hair pulled back in a spiky ponytail. His hands were shoved lazily in his coat pockets as he kept his gaze on the sky. Across from him was a young teenage girl with short black hair parted to her right side, having her hands placed behind her back and rocking on her heels. Between them was a young man around the girl's age. His hood was pulled over his face, but his gaze followed his partners'.

The three of them were in front of a moat that led to their destination: a large castle built in limestone and took the space of the land underneath it, leaving no corner untouched. The three towers built on top of each wing of the castle had a large flag bearing the insignia of the kingdom flying proudly over them. The mere scale of the walls was enough to intimidate someone just passing by, but the trio felt calm and ready for whatever they were about to walk into.

The drawbridge lowered before them. The boy fiddled with the zipper of his jacket and averted his gaze nervously, grabbing the collar and tugging on it. The girl placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled, squeezing it in encouragement as an attempt to cheer him up. Their attention was drawn to the lone figure walking towards them from the other side of the bridge A man with a bulky build and dreadlocks stepped with a loud thump of his boots, giving the wood a light creak to indicate how old the bridge was. The stern look on his face was almost enough to make the two teenagers squeamish, but they held their ground. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat, almost going pale at the man who seemed to tower over her.

The man scanned the trio with a hum. "I take it you're the special unit the king requested."

"That's us," The fiery youth replied with a cocky grin and gestured to himself. "Hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not at all." The man with dreadlocks felt a piercing gaze and turned to the two teenagers staring intently at him. Once he met their gazes, the girl lowered her head to the ground, and he turned to the boy who looked more nervous than she did. Under the hood, the man spotted a familiar pair of ocean blue eyes filled with unease. His own eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak "You're--"

"Are we allowed to meet with the king now?" The oldest of the trio spoke up again, cursing at the desperation in his voice. "I'm sure he'll want to meet us as soon as possible.

"Yes. Of course." The bulky man let his eyes linger on the boy for another moment long before turning on his heel, motioning the three to follow him. All three of them released a relieved sigh. The red-head gave the teens a shaky smile before they scampered across the bridge, watching the castle doors open to let them inside.

The entrance hall had a warm aura given by the lights that held a golden hue to them. The floor had a pattern of curls and points that stretched into the hall before them. The boy stood under the clover-shaped light emitting from the window behind him and lifted his head to get a better look at his surroundings. A feeling of familiarity enveloped him, and while he wanted to smile, the current situation he was in prevented him from doing so, and the familiarity was replaced with dread.

"You alright?" His friend brought him out of his trance, and he turned to see the man lift an eyebrow. The hooded boy nodded and scurried to his side. "You're pretty quiet today, but that's probably a good thing," He shot another gaze towards the man with dreadlocks. "We can probably make an excuse for it if you want."

The boy shook his head. "Are you sure?" The girl asked with concern. "You're not worried about people asking questions?"

"Guess it can't be helped then." The slim man shrugged as they approached a golden staircase. Each step added a weight to the boy's shoulders to the point where he was dragging himself. He didn't know why he was so nervous; he shouldn't be nervous. The king should be happy to see him, but the boy didn't know what he would think of him.

The four of them approached three large thrones at the other end of the room. In the middle sat a man with golden spikes that spread out in every direction and a crown that tried to tame them. Behind him on his left was a teenager who held a close resemblance with his hands behind his back and a somber look on his face. Their eyes perked up at the group approaching them.

The man with dreadlocks stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, this is the unit you requested."

"Thank you, Dilan. You may go now." The king held a soft tone. Dilan bowed once again, shooting a suspicious glare towards the hooded boy before turning on his heel. Once he was out of earshot, the king stood, clearing his throat to gain his composure, and spoke aloud to the trio. "I'm glad you came as quick as you could. Times may be peaceful now, but something tells me we'll be having trouble on our hands soon enough. Since you will accompanying my son--" He cut himself off after the word, and the boy behind him averted his gaze. The king sighed and continued. "May I ask your names?"

"My name is Lea, Your Majesty," The red-head bowed and got on one knee. "I'm here to serve you and the prince in whatever way I can."

"My name is Xion," The girl also bowed. "It's an honor, Your Majesty."

The king turned to the hooded boy who didn't turn away from him or the prince. So many unspoken words spilled out between the three of them. He wanted to run up to them with a smile, cry and apologize for how long it had been. Instead, he followed his partners and also bowed, muttering a name loud enough for them to hear. "Roxas."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the prince flinch, and it made him frown. "Well. Roxas. . ." The king trailed off after the name as if to test the waters. "Lea, Xion. It's a pleasure to work with you."

"It's a pleasure to be in your service." Lea replied, not lifting his head.

The king turned to the boy standing next to the throne. "Ventus, you'll be in their care. Please be sure to get to know them," He turned back to the hooded teen. "I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do." There was a long pause before the king stepped towards a door that was next to the thrones. Both boys knew exactly where he was going.

Ventus soon stepped forward in front of the trio, although his eyes were locked onto the hooded teen. He had to stop tears from pricking his eyes but he couldn't keep the sad scowl off of his face. Ventus didn't know what this unsettling feeling was for. Was it for Roxas, or was it for the position he was in. He wanted to be happy, but he wasn't, not until he got his feelings off of his chest.

Roxas lifted his head for the first time since walking inside the castle, and Ventus saw the face identical to his own.


	2. New Faces

There he was.

The one he hasn't seen in ten years, the one who he couldn't send letters to no matter how much he wanted to, the one who was proclaimed dead when they were separated. There was his twin --older than him by ten minutes-- bowing to him as if they weren't related at all. Ventus didn't know why he wasn't happy. No, he was happy to see him again; it was squashed underneath all of the questions he wanted to ask. It was squashed under the anger and hurt. He wanted to yell and scream at the Royal Guard, asking them why they were separated when his brother would come back anyway. But Ventus held himself back; he was sure there were lingering ears, and it would risk exposing them.

Instead, Ventus released a sigh. The look of discomfort on Roxas's face tugged at his heart. He must think the prince didn't want to see him, and that made Ventus feel worse. He coughed awkwardly in his sleeve before speaking. "You may rise." Roxas lowered his head as he stood to his feet. Ventus rubbed one of his arms with an averted gaze, glancing over at the door to his left. "Before we get started, I need to check on my father. I think he needs to know where I'll be." It was a terrible excuse and he knew the trio saw through his bluff. But he had to get away for a moment to process.

"Take all the time you need," Lea was the one who spoke first. "We'll be waiting in the main hall."

"Thank you." Ventus nodded to them before scurrying off through the door.

Roxas pulled on his hood with guilt. "Hearts, I knew this was a bad idea," He groaned. "He doesn't want me here."

"You know that's not true." Xion replied.

"If anything, he probably went somewhere to gush out his feelings since he can't do it here," Lea's tone was serious as the sound of faint footsteps reached his ears. "Too many people can eavesdrop."

The footsteps grew louder, and the three turned to see a much older man walking towards them with a smirk. He had the appearance of someone who fought in many battles; there was an eyepatch on his right side and a nasty scar was on his left cheek. The look on his face was enough to make Roxas feel uneasy, and Xion couldn't help but frown.

"So, I take it you're the new guys." The man's voice was a bit hoarse and didn't match his appearance, and that made Roxas even more suspicious.

"Yep! That's us," Lea grinned. "And who are you supposed to be? Someone from the Guard?"

"You can say that," The man shrugged. "Name's Braig. Since you're in here, I take it you're the unit sent to protect the prince? I don't blame the king for being worried. The kid's 16 after all."

"The older he gets, the more people there'll be to try and kill him," Lea replied. "That's why we're here. We're just waiting for him to show us around the kingdom."

"That'll be fun. I expect to see you guys around more," Braig turned to the two teenagers, lifting an eyebrow at Roxas. "Why do you seem familiar?"

Roxas's eyes widened slightly before turning to the ground. Braig hummed with a lifted eyebrow, bending his head down to get a better look at the boy. Xion's panicked voice echoed in the hall. "A-Anyway, it was nice to meet you, but we promised the prince we would wait for him in the main hall. I-If you would excuse us!" She quickly bowed and grabbed her two teammates by the wrists, pulling them towards the stairs and out of ear range. "Xion--"

"I'm sorry I just--" The girl cut herself off to take a breath. "I was thinking about what Eraqus said about coming back, and I panicked. Hearts knows what would happen if anyone were to find out the former Crown Prince is still alive."

"I get that, but you probably gave off suspicion by running off like that." Lea retorted. He pressed a finger to his temple with a groan. "We can't always run off in a panic whenever someone so much as looks at him. We gotta come up with some sort of excuse."

"The real question is will people believe it?" Roxas crossed his arms.

"I dunno, but we gotta try."

Before Roxas could respond, a flash of blue and brown passed the corner of his eye. He jerked his head and spotted a pair exiting a hallway. A woman with short blue hair and eyes stared at him had a guilty look on her face while the man with slicked brown hair had a look of surprise. A glare appeared on Roxas's face and he turned away with a scowl and a scoff. His partners followed his gaze. They lingered for a moment before the pair turned in the opposite direction. Lea turned back to the young blonde. "They made the call, huh?"

"Yeah." Roxas spat with distaste.

The ball of blonde spikes running towards him was enough to make him smile, but the anger was still there. "I apologize if you were waiting long."

"Not at all." Xion replied cheerfully.

Roxas was snapped out of thought when he felt a familiar hand slide into his own. He turned to see Ventus tugging him along to the front doors, but he still wasn't looking at him. Roxas pulled on the hood to make sure it didn't fly off his head and to make sure the others didn't see his frown. Was Ventus happy to see him or not? It was still unclear to him.

"Did you tell the king where we would be?" Lea asked.

"I don't think he heard me, but I gave him the message anyway." Roxas noticed the shake in his voice. It either sounded like he was trying not to cry or he just did. Roxas didn't know, but he knew it wasn't the right time to try and pry into it. They hadn't been together for a full hour, but Roxas hoped there would be a chance for he and his brother to talk.

Their hands broke apart when they stepped into the open air. The sun was partially blocked by the clouds, but it wasn't enough for a dreary aura. Roxas expected everyone to stop what they were doing and throw themselves at his brother's feet as they used to when he was younger, so he found it odd that there were only a few lingering glances. Perhaps Ventus went out more than he thought.

Ventus leaned in towards the trio with a smile. "This might be terrible to say, but a part of me hopes we run into some sort of trouble. It'll give me a chance to show what you're made of." He winked and pulled away, turning on his heel with a light hum.

Lea had his hands shoved in his pockets as he shrugged at his teammates before following closely behind the blonde. Xion gave a lazy smile before the two teens stepped behind him onto the pavement. Roxas sighed and scampered to his brother's side. When he peered over to get a look at him, he saw the other with a stern but comforting gaze that gave the message loud and clear: _We'll talk later_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try to update this story every week or every other week or so to give myself a little schedule and keep myself busy. Also, I wasn't sure whether to go with Braig or Xigbar since I want it to be known that you can't trust this guy but I also wanna be consistent with the Org XIII's names. If you have a preference, let me know. Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think! Stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	3. Talk

For the first time in ten years, Roxas saw a smile on his brother's face. Not the fake smile he's been sporting for most of the day but a pure, genuine smile. Lea stretched against the wall he was leaning against while Xion was twirling a lock of her bangs between her fingers. Roxas bent down and held his knees with a puffed cheek, watching the prince run around with other children around his age in a game of tag. He ducked around trees with reflexes Roxas couldn't remember him having; he was quick and nimble to the point where he ran up a tree to avoid the boys on the ground. Ventus grinned as the other teens whined. "That's not fair, Highness!"

"You never said I couldn't!" Ventus laughed in response from the lowest branch. He glanced over towards the trio nearby --specifically to his brother's curious face-- before jumping off the branch and brushing off his clothes. "I wish I could stay longer, but I still have princely duties to take care of today."

Some of the younger children in the group whined. A girl with braided hair leaned in close. "Hey Highness, doesn't that boy feel familiar to you?" She gestured her head to Roxas.

Ventus waved it off and shook his head. "Nah. I think that's your imagination talking."

"If you say so." The girl sounded unconvinced, but she shrugged and ran off with the others.

Ventus scurried to the trio and pulled Roxas to his feet. "Come on. There's somewhere else I want you to see."

He led the three of them passed various vendors, ran up staircases and ramps, and darted through alleyways full of the small gardens that were surrounded by buildings. Lea and Xion looked to each other in confusion, but Roxas couldn't help but gawk. The path was familiar, and it brought him back to memories he never thought he would remember. Ventus's hand also felt warmer all of a sudden. It spread across his arm and towards the rest of the upper half of his body. It was a feeling Roxas was grateful for.

They stopped in front of a large circular contraption placed against a wall. It almost looked like a theatre stage without the red curtain. Ventus scampered to the ramp and lifted his head to look at the plaque. "Remember this place? Father used to take us here all the time when we were little."

"I'm surprised it's still the same as before." Roxas padded to his side and lifted his gaze.

"So, is this explaining some historic event or something?" Lea whistled in amazement with a hand on his hip.

"It's very pretty," Xion complimented. "And elaborate."

"It describes the events of how Scala Ad Caelum came to be," Ventus replied. "Father used to tell us the story all the time when we were little. It almost sounded like a fairy tale."

"Care to give us a crash course, Your Highness?" Lea asked.

Ventus turned back to the plaque and hummed. "I haven't heard the story in years. Not since. . ." He trailed off, trying to find the right word. "The incident," The word made both twins frown. "But, long ago, Scala Ad Caelum used to go by a different name. But then, a calamity came from the sky and destroyed it along with the entire world. The ones who survived rebuilt the kingdoms from scratch, and they've been prospering to this day."

"Any idea what caused the calamity?" Xion asked with a tilted head.

"No idea," The prince shook his head. "There are some theories."

"Most people believe it was because of Kingdom Hearts," Roxas decided to speak up. "They think Kingdom Hearts wanted the world to be remade somehow. Don't ask me how they got to that conclusion."

"It could make sense," Xion replied. "How else would you describe a disaster that huge?"

"You got a point," Lea scratched the back of his head. "What did Scala used to be called?"

"No idea," Ventus responded. "Father wouldn't tell us. It's not on any records either. Like whoever was there was trying to keep it a secret."

"Maybe there was a reason?" Xion pressed a finger to her chin with the suggestion.

"Still seems pretty weird to me." Lea replied.

Xion couldn't help but agree, and it made the twins chuckle. Roxas spotted a glare creeping under his hood and saw the sky show a gradient of a baby blue delving into a light orange. The clocks in town struck 5:00 indicating to the daytime vendors to pack up shop before the sunset.

There was a change of tone in Ventus's eyes. He turned to the duo with a soft but firm gaze. "You two can go back to the castle and settle in. I need a word with Roxas."

Lea and Xion glanced at each other before turning to their blonde partner in unison. Lea slapped a hand on his shoulder with a smile, and Xion gave him a light hug. "We'll see you later." With a wave, the two of them stepped back in the alleyway they came through and disappeared around a corner.

Roxas awkwardly scratched his arm before he was pulled along down another path. It was a dimly lit pathway that lead to a staircase leading underground. Roxas lifted an eyebrow as they entered the archway leading to what he always knew as the sewer system. Once again, Ventus wasn't looking at him as they traversed through the tunnels with echoed steps with water dripping around them. Roxas wanted to say something to break the silence between then, but he didn't know what to talk about. A part of him knew why his brother was taking him somewhere more secluded than he thought. He didn't want any eavesdroppers risk knowing their secret.

The prince led him through a rectangular gate, darting around the corner to a metal crate attached to a pulley system. Ventus gestured him to it, confident that the ride will hold them both despite being older. Roxas stepped inside with caution before his brother pulled the lever. There was a creak before they began moving upward, leaving the tunnels behind.

The awkward silence followed them up the shaft and suffocated the air around them. They arrived at a small platform that looked to be from the inside of one of the towers. Ventus stepped out of the crate first and stepped towards the large window across from them. Roxas scurried after him to keep close to him, but he could tell Ventus wanted some space. He scratched the back of his neck with an averted gaze, but he spoke first. "Ventus, I wish it didn't turn out like this. Really, I do. I didn't even know we were coming back until yesterday. I don't even know how to feel about coming back," Roxas bit his lip. "But, what I do know is I'm happy to see you again. I missed you, Ventus. I missed you so much."

The silence that followed was unbearable. Roxas had to bite back a groan because of it. Why wasn't he saying anything? He had to be happy for them to see each other again. He wouldn't have smiled that way if he wasn't. Roxas couldn't help but frown.

"It's not fair." Ventus finally spoke, but he didn't turn around. "I don't get it. If you were gonna come back, what was the point of separating us? Why did they separate us? Did they not think about how we would feel!?" He whipped around to face his reflection with large tears swelled in his eyes. "What about Father!? Did they think about how he would feel not seeing one of his sons again!? What was Aqua thinking when it came to her head!?"

Roxas opened his mouth to speak, but he could tell his brother wasn't done. Ventus released a few shaky breaths and let the tears fall. "The Guard wouldn't let us know where you were or send you letters. Something about risking our protection, but they wouldn't even tell us what we were being protected from. I didn't even know if you were alive, but I thought about you every day. No matter how many people were around me or how many friends I had, I felt lonely because you weren't there and--" He cut himself off at the look on his twin's face. "Remus, can you please stop looking at me like that?"

Roxas was snapped out of his trance at the sound of his birth name. He hastily wiped the tears running down his cheeks with a sniffle. "S-Sorry," He breathed out. "I-It's just you didn't look happy to see me."

"You know that's not true," Ventus replied. "Father said it was to keep the secret. We both hated it, but it was better than trying to explain how the proclaimed dead prince is alive."

"But, there's no one around now."

Ventus blinked in surprise. Then, he grinned. "You're right."

Not even a second later, he bolted to his twin.

Roxas was knocked off of his feet as he was tackled in a hug. His hood flew off of his face and revealed a nest of spikes styled exactly like Ventus's. He couldn't even understand Ventus through all of the sobbing as they clung to each other like koalas. Roxas tried to sit up, but Ventus was heavier than he was when they were younger, so he had to wait for the other to let up first.

When he did, Ventus's face was an ugly shade of red and his eyes were puffy. Roxas intertwined their fingers to soothe him. Ventus sniffled again with a hiccup. "Hearts Remy, don't leave me again."

"I won't, Ven. I promise."

With that, Ventus pulled him into another hug, and the sky bled into a deep scarlet as the sun set behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone asks, no I was not thinking of Harry Potter when I thought of what Roxas's real name was gonna be. I thought it would be too obvious to people if Ven's bodyguard shared the same face AND name as his proclaimed dead brother and they would start asking questions. At first, I was gonna go with Roxel, but I wanted it to sound good with Ventus and Remus was just the first name that popped in my head. Anyway let me know what you think and stay tuned for more!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	4. Familiar Friends

After cleaning up their faces, the two of them began to return to the castle before the sun set completely under the surface of the ocean. Most of the vendors had closed up shop for the day, but the few who were still around was the reason Roxas kept his hood it. But it didn't stop Ventus from holding his hand with a new burst of confidence. It made Roxas feel a little better about the situation.

He tried not to think about the day they were separated. The look on his brother's face as they were being pulled apart broke his heart every time he was reminded of it. He could remember the screaming and shouting that echoed across the walls, the clawing he gave to the arms holding him, Hearts, he could remember biting the man. It wasn't a pleasant memory to look back on, but Roxas couldn't help it. They had a lot to catch up on.

"Oh my stars, it is you!"

The pair whirled around to spot a teen with messy, chocolate-colored spikes, bright blue eyes, and freckles sprinting towards him with a grin plastered on his face. Roxas's eyes widened and he put his hands in front of him to stop the boy from barreling into him. "What the-- Sora!?"

He was promptly ignored as the brunette wrapped tight arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. "Hearts, I can't believe it!" He exclaimed happily. "You're back, you're back, you're back!"

"Sora, wait up!" Another voice called out, and Roxas spotted another teen with silver hair running towards them albeit slower than the brunette he was chasing after. "Sora, you can't just--" His eyes grew to saucers when he saw the hooded blonde. "No way."

"He's back, Riku!" Sora still kept his arms around the other teen as he jumped in place. He turned back to the bewildered Roxas. "I've missed you so much! How have you been, Re--" A pair of hands slapped over his mouth. Sora looked behind him to see Ventus pulling him off of his twin with a worried glare. His voice turned to a muffle as Roxas tried to readjust his hood, and Riku was shifting his gaze between the three of them wanting to figure out what was going on.

Sora only went silent when Ventus shushed him. He released a huffed breath before glancing at the duo. "Sora, Riku, this is Roxas. He and his friends have been assigned to protect me."

Roxas couldn't read Sora's face, but based on the way his eyebrows furrowed, he could tell the brunette was full of confusion and surprise. Roxas couldn't blame him; he and Riku were more out of the loop than anyone since they've known the twins for so long.

Luckily for him, Riku caught on quickly. "Sora." He called out to the other teen cautiously. The three of them looked around to see the few pedestrians in the area giving them weird glances. Panic flared in Roxas's chest, and Ventus had a tighter hold on the brunette in front of him.

Sora whined and lowered his gaze, gently prying the prince's fingers away. He bit his lip nervously before bowing. "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else," He spoke clearly, loud enough for any lingering ears to listen in. "It's very nice to meet you." The sudden tone change told Roxas he was angry, but he wasn't worried. Knowing Sora, he'd bounce back to his bright, bubbly self the next day, and the friendliness towards Roxas would be brushed off as something Sora-esque and wouldn't raise any questions.

Riku bowed as well. Roxas had to admit it was a bit unsettling. Seeing one of his childhood friends act as if they're meeting him for the first time left a bitter taste in his mouth even though he knew they wanted to do the opposite. Even Ventus couldn't stop himself from frowning.

Riku was the first to lift his head, looking around once again before speaking. "The king asked us to look for you two. Dinner's about to begin."

"Can't believe it's that late already," Ventus sighed.

"Don't tell me it's still buffet style with the endless amount of food." Roxas said with a grin.

"Yep," Ventus nodded with a smile. "Just the way Dad liked it." He saw Sora flinch out of the corner of his eye. Ventus lowered his head to face Sora head-on, lifting his chin with a few fingers. "There's probably gonna be a dish or two from Destiny Islands if you're up for it."

Sora finally gave a warm smile and stood up straight. The smile turned into a grin as he ran ahead of the three of them. "We better hurry before we miss the main course!" He shouted to them.

Roxas chuckled with a hand on his hip as they watched the brunette scamper back to the castle under the now lit streetlamps. He turned the silverette next to him. "So, is he okay? Cause he seems to be better than the last time I saw him. A lot better, actually."

"It's kind of a long story," Riku scratched the back of his head. "I'll explain later. For now, we should catch up to him."

Sora was the one holding the conversation for the walk back, but he was more reserved after his initial outburst. Roxas tried to cheer him up, reassuring him it was only an accident, but it wasn't enough to make Sora feel better once he realized he almost blew the secret. In the end, Riku's reassurance was the only one to make Sora crack a smile.

Dilan was the one who greeted them at the gate when they returned and escorted them back inside before it got too dark. From there, Ventus led the three of them down the nearest corridor to their left where Roxas heard light chatter and music the closer they got. Roxas held in a breath as they approached a pair of open double doors. On the other side was a brightly lit room full of platter-filled tables and patrons chatting around them. Roxas released the breath he was holding in as he followed Ventus inside.

It was as if the world stopped the second he entered the room. The music went on, but a large group of people surrounded the four of them, happily greeting the prince before being shoved aside by someone else. Sora and Riku glanced to each other, nodded, then pulled Roxas by the arm and slid through the small crowd towards a small buffet table covered with crackers and fruit. Riku saw the hood trying to slip from Roxas's head, and he immediately pulled it down over his face, earning a muffled groan from the blonde as a result. When he could lift his head, he glared at the older teen harshly, and Sora couldn't help but laugh.

They camped out at the table as they waited for Ventus to be finished with his greetings until Sora's eyes widened at a table a few ways away from them. He grabbed Riku by the arm in an excited manner and pointed to the dish Ventus was talking about earlier. The brunette waved to Roxas and said they would meet up with him later before pulling Riku over. Roxas couldn't help but sigh, but he smiled and returned to the small plate of food in his hand.

"It would be best if you put your hood down, young man. We don't want any trouble here."

A scruffy voice spoke behind him. Roxas blinked in surprise and whirled around with a cheekful of cheese and strawberry. He lifted his head to face an elderly man with dark, gray hair pulled up in a ponytail and a scar over his right eye. Both pairs of eyes widened as the man got a better look at his face. "Re--"

"I go by Roxas now," Roxas quickly responded before the man could finish saying his name. "I thought it would be better to change my name after I joined the organization. Wouldn't want to raise suspicion. It's nice to see you again, Eraqus."

"You look well," The man smiled. "I see you've been eating well. You're also in a better mood, but I don't need to ask why."

The two saw Ventus running towards them with an exhausted smile directed at his twin. "I never thought they would leave me alone," He breathed. "Are you okay? I saw Sora and Riku go off to another table."

"I'm good, actually," Roxas gestured to the man next to him. "I was just catching up with Eraqus."

Ventus turned to the elder and jolted in surprise. " _The_ Eraqus? The former captain of the Royal Guard Eraqus?" After a nod from his brother, Ventus quickly bowed. "It's very nice to meet you! May I ask how you know Roxas?"

"It's an honor to talk with you in person, Highness," Eraqus bowed with a smile. "And to answer your question, I was the one who looked after him before he joined the organization."

"I. . . I see." Ventus looked confused, but his eyes told Roxas he didn't exactly know how to feel. He stood up and grabbed the plate from his brother's hand, eating the last of the strawberries and reaching over to pick off some grapes.

The silence gave Eraqus an excuse to exit the conversation. "Well, I won't keep you two. You have a lot to talk about. Keep me posted, Roxas."

"I will." Roxas nodded, prompting the elder to bow and head to another table to talk to other guests. Ventus pulled him along towards one of the archways. Out of the corner of his eye, Roxas spotted his teammates talking with a girl with blonde hair and a white dress, waving at him as he passed by.

Once they were in the shadows, Roxas's eyes widened as his brother bumped into a large figure. "Oh, I apol--" He cut himself off when he lifted his head. The brunette man from earlier was staring at the twins with a surprised look on his face. The blue-haired woman next to him held a similar expression. Immediately, both of the twins frowned. "Terra. Aqua." Ventus nodded to the two of them with spite in his voice.

"Hello, Ventus," Aqua spoke cautiously, her eyes filling with guilt as her gaze landed on the blonde next to him. "It's nice to see you again. . . Roxas."

"Yeah. . ." Roxas didn't let up his glare. "Why am I back? Weren't we separated for our 'protection'?"

"What was the point of pulling us apart in the first place?" Ventus's voice was filled with annoyance and he practically spat out the words.

The older pair averted their gazes from the two, and it only fueled the twins' anger more. Roxas's expression became more deadpan, but there was a visible glare on Ventus's. If there wasn't a reason, then it made their separation all the more pointless.

Terra sighed after a moment, but he still didn't look the teens in the eye. "There is a reason, but we can't tell you just yet. Something tells me we brought Roxas back too soon."

Ventus forced himself to ignore the comment about his brother and let out a shaky breath. "Do you promise to tell us eventually?"

"Yes. We promise," Aqua replied. "It's not the right time right now."

"We're holding you to that." Roxas replied grimly. He closed his eyes momentarily before a wide smile spread across his face. Ventus followed suit with a smile of his own. "With that, I hope the two of you enjoy the rest of your night." Neither of them waited for a response before they stepped out from under the arch and returned to the crowd before them.

Ventus pointed to the front of the room, specifically to his father sitting on a large throne chatting with the small group around him. Roxas recognized the ravenette woman and the silver-haired man out of the four of them. He blinked in surprise as the king turned to him with a calm smile and beckoned the twins closer. The duo glanced at each other. Ventus --now with a more genuine smile rather than the fake he wielded seconds before-- gestured his head towards the group as an indication that they should join the conversation. Roxas glanced back at the pair they left behind before nodding to his twin with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, Sora and Riku are introduced. I've been meaning to figure out how to write them in, but what better way than to have Sora run up to an old friend he hasn't seen in a decade and almost blow the whole secret cause he and Riku don't know what's going on? Also, if you still a bit confused on what's going on with the big bad plot, let me know cause there's kinda a lot to unpack. Comment your thoughts below and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	5. Scattered Petals

Roxas had gotten used to sleeping alone. His bed was always cold and empty because there wasn't anyone under the covers with him, but he got used to it. He had to for the possibility of never seeing his brother again. But knowing that someone was in the room with him was enough to make him sleep comfortably.

Maybe that was why Roxas felt a delightful intrusion in his bed the next morning. There was a dip next to him and light breathing in his face. Roxas groaned and brought a hand up to rub one of his eyes, slowly opening them to figure out who was under the blanket with him.

Only to see Ventus's sleeping face mere inches away from his own.

"Gah!" Roxas flailed out of bed, throwing the covers up and falling to the floor with a loud thud. He winced on impact, but it only made Ventus stir.

A moan was heard adjacent from him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Xion sit up with a messy bed-head and half-lid eyes. "Roxas, it's early. What's wrong?" She yawned while rubbing sleep out of her eye. She blinked slowly to adjust her vision before glancing over at the blonde's bed. "Oh, right. He snuck in here late last night."

"You could have woken me up."

"You slept better, didn't you?"

"I. . . Yeah." Roxas stood from the floor and sat on the edge of his bed. Xion shifted where she was sitting cross-legged, and she stretched with a loud groan. "By the way, who was that girl you were talking to last night? The girl in white?"

"Who?" Xion blinked at him. "Oh yeah. Her name's Namine. She works at a little flower shop somewhere in the plaza. I said I would try to come by today."

"That should be fun. You two seemed to get along."

Xion was about to respond until a loud snore echoed across the room. The two teens turned to the far end of the room, frowning at the red-head laying face down in the pillow. Roxas shook his head with a yawn and heard a groan behind him. He turned to see Ventus slowly sit up with an inaudible mutter. "Morning, Rox."

"Morning, Ven." He saw Ventus smile at the nickname before he shook his head trying to wake himself up.

"I hope the room isn't small enough for the three if you," Ventus yawned. "I figured you would want to stay together."

"It's more than enough, Highness," Xion swung her legs off of the bed and pulled down the over-sized shirt that was slipping off of one of her shoulders. "It's better than our room at the organization."

"The organization?" Ventus lifted an eyebrow. "That would explain how the Guard got in contact with you so quickly."

"They were keeping tabs on me when I was with Eraqus too."

"So, the Guard told your father where you were?" Xion asked.

"Seems to be that way," Ventus replied with a shrug. "It's still kinda awful how they knew all along where he was, but they never told us. I get it, but I don't agree with it."

"Ventus. . ."

"But, we're together again, so that's all that matters." Ventus gave a warm smile to his twin and grabbed his hands gently. Roxas sighed and leaned on his shoulder as an affirmation. Ventus turned to the girl trying to fix her bed-head. "So, what are you three doing today?"

'Well, protecting you is one of them," Xion replied. "We were told that one of us had to be with you at all times. But, if it's alright with you, I'd like to visit the flower shop for a bit."

"Oh, I'll join you!" Ventus clapped his hands together. "I need to thank Lauriam for his work on the bouquets last night!"

Roxas and Xion looked to each other with lifted eyebrows. Ventus grew confused. "Is something wrong?"

"That name sounds familiar," Roxas replied. "I feel like we should know him."

"We won't know until we find out."

Xion grabbed a pillow from her bed and stepped to the other end of the room where Lea continued snoring. She turned to the twins and pressed a finger to her lips. Slowly, Xion held the pillow over her head and brought it down on the red-head harshly, but the sound left behind was a soft thud. Fortunately, Lea shot up with a groan and sat up to glare at the girl. Roxas covered his brother's eyes with both hands as the other complained. "Ow, what the--"

"Put some pants on! You're in front of the prince!" Xion scowled with a hand on her hip.

When the time came for them to leave later that morning, Lea was called to the side by Terra and Aqua --a sight that caused the twins to hide behind Xion-- and Lea had to apologize to the two for not being able to go with them. While he was bummed, Roxas could ask him about their conversation later.

He and Xion trailed closely behind Ventus as he almost sprinted down the drawbridge onto the cobblestone steps. The two teens followed him through the light crowd, watching him wave at anyone who greeted them with his signature smile. Xion turned to her partner and flicked finger guns at him with a smirk to imitate the prince, causing Roxas to chuckle and quickly turn away when his brother faced him.

The flower shop was near one of the exits of the plaza: a small, two story building with every window having a flowerbed with a different breed for each. Outside the building was a small stand with some wooden shelves lined with potted plants of all types. Standing behind the counter was a man with untamed, pink hair --who the duo assumed was Lauriam-- smiling at the customers before him.

Ventus's smile widened while Roxas's and Xion's faces morphed into confusion. They shared a quick glance with each other as they followed the blonde to the stand. When the man saw the trio approach, he smiled. "Nice to see you, Your Highness."

"I couldn't not come to see you after the work you did last night," Ventus approached the stand with glee. "I came to thank you."

"There's no need, Your Highness," Lauriam bowed to him. "I only acted on my own wants and asked your father if I was allowed. Elrena also helped sort the bouquets with me."

"Did she? I'll be sure to thank her."

"You can thank me now." A feminine voice was heard from the door, and the four of them turned to see a blonde woman with a pair of slick-back antennas on top of her head leaning against the door frame with crossed arms and a smirk. "And before you say anything, you're welcome."

While the three of them chatted, Roxas and Xion couldn't help but feel wary. The two Ventus were talking to felt familiar somehow. They weren't sure if they were the same Lauriam and Elrena they heard about, but they couldn't be sure. What they were sure of was something was off with the two of them, and Roxas felt the urge to keep his brother away from them as much as possible.

"Oh, you're here." The two teens looked past the prince and saw Namine peeking out the door. Roxas saw the frown fade from Xion's face as they strode over to her. Namine smoothed out her dress. "It's nice to see you again, Xion. And you must be Roxas."

"Nice to meet you." Roxas held out a hand for her to shake. "Lea would also be here, but he had some business to take care of."

"Oh, that's alright. Tell him I said hi," Namine clapped her hands together. "Oh, you work at the palace, right? Mind passing on a message?"

Roxas lifted an eyebrow. "What for?"

"I never got a chance to tell Riku last night that the Bleeding Hearts he ordered have finally bloomed," Namine gestured to the building, presumably somewhere the two couldn't exactly see. "Mind telling him to stop by later?"

"We will." Xion nodded.

Roxas didn't know when he tuned out of the conversation, but the girls didn't seem to notice. He couldn't keep his attention off of the two who were talking with his twin. No matter the smiles they gave off, it couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. He had to know them from somewhere, but where would he have met them? Where did he hear their names before? Roxas couldn't put his finger on it, but what he did know was those two weren't to be trusted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably gonna make more data greetings here in a bit cause I only made 10 for the chapters I have summarized, so I think that's a sign to continue outlining. But since I'm updating this story every other week, that gives me plenty of time. Anyway, we're introduced to Lauriam and Elrena, two out of the three (yes, Strel is alive and well in this story) who work at a flower shop in Scala, but why do Roxas and Xion not trust them? Let me know what you think in the comments and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	6. Radiance

Three weeks had passed since Roxas returned to Scala Ad Caelum, and he was finally starting to get used to his new position at the castle. Hiding his identity turned out to be easier than he'd expected as he was already used to people not bowing at the sight of him. But, not being able to treat his brother as an equal around others was something he found jarring. and he knew for a fact Ventus felt the same way.

"Oh, that reminds me." Ventus perked up with wide eyes one afternoon during a conversation with his father. Roxas was originally standing behind him, but Ventus was having none of that and offered him and Lea a seat at the table. Ventus turned to his twin with a smile. "You haven't been to Radiant Garden since you came back. Do you wanna take a trip tomorrow?"

Roxas blinked at him with wide eyes. Radiant Garden was a kingdom that sat on the mainland rather than the large island Scala resided. It was ruled by a man by the name of Ansem the Wise, someone Ventus's father kept in close contact with. As such, the kingdom was a valuable ally for Scala, and both rulers planned to keep it that way.

The king nodded at his son's suggestion. "It's a nice idea. Kairi will be happy to see the two of you."

"How is Kairi?" Roxas asked. He hasn't seen the girl in ten years so there was no telling what she was up to.

"She's great, actually!" Ventus replied happily. "She's been busy lately, but I think she'll spare some time for us!"

"Sounds like we have a plan, then." Lea said with a smile.

The next morning, Roxas watched the island shrink the farther they sailed away from it. He leaned across the railing with half-lid eyes, sighing as he watched the water slosh under the boat. A frown was spread across his face and he slumped his shoulders.

"Everything alright?" Ventus's voice spoke behind him. Roxas turned around to see his reflection with a worried gaze as he stepped towards his side and held one of his hands. He rested his head on his brother's shoulders with the knowledge that no one would be around to see them.

Roxas reciprocated the touch and rested his cheek on his twin's unruly spikes. "It's nothing," He muttered. "Just thinking back to the day I left Eraqus. The day I joined the organization."

"So, it was on the mainland?" Ventus pursed his lips. "What was it like?"

"Well, it's keen on secrecy," Roxas replied. "You're assigned to a unit, and you only know the names of your partners and no one else's. You gotta do some serious digging to find out who's outside your unit, and that can be a pain."

"So you don't know who the leader is?" Ventus asked.

"Nope," Roxas shook his head. "Even Xion and Lea don't know. He's the one who recruited me, so I should know who he is. I don't even know what the organization is after."

"That's eerie."

"You have no idea," The two heard footsteps and instantly pulled apart. "I don't really miss it. I would have hated being there if I wasn't paired with Xion and Lea," Roxas released another sigh. "I don't know why the Guard brought me back, but I hope it's permanent. I'm not letting myself get pulled away from you again."

"The feeling is mutual." Ventus replied with a smile.

A few hours later, the horns blared through the sky, indicating they had arrived at Radiant Garden's pier. Roxas had to admit it hasn't changed as much as he thought it would. The docks had sturdier wood, some ships got a well-needed paint job, and the buildings past the port looked less-outdated.

Roxas and Lea guided the prince off of the ship before he soon took over as guide. Instead of people seemingly not minding Ventus walking around casually, there were hush whispers at his arrival with people wondering what in the name of Kingdom Hearts was he doing visiting. A few patrons already figured out he was here to visit the princess albeit they didn't know the reason so they went about their business.

The three of them reached the plaza, and Roxas glanced up at the clockwork-like structure standing behind the tall gate. It was exactly as he remembered it, and he had to admit he was looking forward to seeing the girl. Lea whistled at the sight. "So, what's the princess like?"

The twins looked to each other. "Adventurous." They said in unison.

"She has a kind of elegance to her, but she's also a risk-taker," Ventus added on. "She used to climb on balconies a lot when we were younger."

"And she's not afraid to tell it as it is." Roxas nodded his head.

"Sounds fun."

The second they made it to the top step behind the gate, one of the front doors was pushed open from the inside. A moment later, a girl with strawberry-colored hair and ocean-like eyes peeking at the three of them. She tilted her head when she spotted Roxas, gasping with a grin after realizing who was under the hood. "Holy Hearts, your letter wasn't kidding!" The girl threw the door open wider and sprinted towards them, not caring if she was scuffing the low-heeled shoes she was wearing across the stone. She wrapped her arms around Roxas's neck and squeezed with a giggle. "It's been so long, Remus!" Her eyes widened and she pulled back. "Oh, sorry! I'm not supposed to call you that anymore, am I? It's just I haven't seen you since the funeral."

"It's fine, Kairi." Roxas reassured. "It's nice to see you again."

"Ventus told me about your situation," Kairi turned to the tall red-head next to them. "I take it this is the "Lea" you were talking about?"

"Yep. That's him." Ventus grinned.

"Nice to meet you, Your Highness." Lea bowed.

"Oh please. Just call me Kairi since you're a friend of Rem--Roxas," Kairi scratched the back of her head as she caught herself. "My father will be glad to see you. Let's hope he's not in a meeting right now." With a turn of her heel, she led the trio inside with Lea whistling again at the interior. "So, have you guys done anything exciting?" Kairi asked as she skipped across the hall.

"I haven't been back for a full month, so it's normally me trying to get used to everything," Roxas replied with a shrug. "Kinda glad people aren't kissing my feet now."

"I'll gladly trade places with you cause of that." His brother's voice was a sarcastic plea, and it got a chuckle out of both teens.

"Here's what we'll do," Kairi whirled around to face the two. "I'll treat you to the finest restaurant in the kingdom! It'll give us the chance to catch up!" Before either of them could say anything, Kairi blinked in surprise and turned to the younger blonde. "Did you tell him yet?"

"I was waiting for you to." Ventus gestured to her with a shrug.

"Wait, tell me what?" Roxas asked.

Kairi couldn't help but grin. She cleared her throat dramatically and hopped back a few baby steps away from them. Suddenly, she began to twirl, throwing Roxas into even more confusion. But he spotted a light forming in her right hand. In a flash, it turned into a sort of weapon, and Kairi held it out proudly. "Ta da!"

The weapon's colors resembled a sunset and had flowers embedded as the teeth. The hilt was a beige, upside-down heart with one side matching Kairi's eyes perfectly. The charm that hung on the edge of the chain was shaped like a yellow star.

Roxas's eyes widened along with Kairi's smile. Ventus couldn't help but snort. "You can wield a Keyblade?"

"Yeah!" Kairi replied happily. "I've had it for a few years now. Father doesn't want me using it, but that didn't stop me from getting a trainer. I'm still trying to get my footing down."

"Never expected you to have one, Princess," Lea piped up and slapped a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "You're just like our dead prince here."

The other teens' eyes lit up, practically sparkling under the chandeliers that hung above them. Roxas scratched the back of his head sheepishly, wanting to turn away but knowing he was in for an endless amount of questioning. Before either of them could say anything, he whipped around to the man next to him only to find him looking in another direction and apparently out of thought. "Lea?"

"Huh?"

The excitement on Kairi and Ventus's faces faded when they saw the unease on the red-head. "Are you okay?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah," Lea waved it off. "I thought I saw someone familiar. Musta been my imagination."

"Hmm." None of them looked convinced. Ventus puffed out a cheek with a lifted eyebrow. He sighed, figuring that Lea would tell them eventually. He turned back to his twin with the same giddy grin on his face. "Please show us. Just this once?"

"Come on, Remy." Kairi pleaded playfully.

Roxas rolled his eyes. When he nodded there was a resounding "Yes!" from the duo as he sighed and held out his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have Kairi, a spunky princess who's also a bff to the twins. Well, more to Ventus really. I decided to make a change to Destiny's Embrace's keychain cause it wouldn't make sense for it to be a paopu since she's not close to Sora and Riku nor is she from Destiny Islands, so it would be kinda weird. Also a little sidenote: I added that comment about her footwork because let's be real her battle stance is awful (Kairi please balance yourself, hun). Anyway, let me know what you think in the comments and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	7. Other Keys

"You have one too!?"

Sora, Riku, and Ventus all lifted eyebrows at the teen's outburst, glancing at each other with confused gazes. The four of them were in the courtyard enjoying an afternoon snack. Sora finally got his chance to catch up with Roxas after not having a chance to before he left for Radiant Garden. He was so excited, he was practically blurting out whatever came to mind, even going so far as to tell the blonde he, Riku, and Ventus all had Keyblades of their own.

Sora swallowed the mouthful of food he had. "Yeah. Kinda why Riku and I joined the Guard. What was the point of having Keyblades if we weren't gonna use them?"

"You forget, the Guard approached us when they first manifested." Riku retorted and snagged a cookie off of his plate, earning a whine from the brunette next to him.

"If you don't mind me asking, when did yours manifest?" Roxas asked.

Riku froze. He slumped his shoulders with a somber look on his face. Ventus shared the same expression and kept his head down. Sora also grew quiet. Riku set the cookie to the side. "It was a little while after the accident."

"Oh. . ." Roxas ducked his head. He suddenly felt guilty as if it wasn't him who wasn't personally affected. He sighed and turned to Sora. "And you?"

"Oh, mine came way after Riku's," Sora replied. "I don't remember much, but I know it was under a meteor shower." The somber frown on Riku's face turned into a somber smile. With that reaction, Roxas wanted to know exactly how it went, but it wasn't his place to ask.

"And, if you want to know when mine manifested," Ventus scratched the back of his head, but kept his gaze towards his lap. "It was soon after we were separated."

Roxas's frown only grew --something he couldn't explain-- but he leaned back with a sigh. "We really are twins. Mine did too."

"Can we see it?" Sora asked with excitement.

"Hang on. We shouldn't be doing this here," Riku stood from the table. "We'll go to the training grounds. I'm not getting a repeat of a mini hurricane going through the plaza again."

Sora and Ventus winced and averted their gazes away from the older teen. Roxas tilted his head in confusion but decided not to question it. He followed the three of the back inside and into another corridor, tugging on his hood as he quickened his pace to keep up with the brunette. He padded to Riku's side. "So, he really don't remember anything about--" He cut himself off to make sure Sora wasn't able to hear them before whispering in the older teen's ear. "You-know-who."

"Not on his own," Riku whispered back. "I don't know how, but I know Aqua did something to him. I'd ask Tifa, but she doesn't tell me much."

"None of us know what Aqua did," Ventus whispered. "But we're still careful in case Sora has a relapse."

Roxas turned to the spiky-haired teen humming a light-hearted tune in front of them before dashing towards the door in front of them. Sora twirled on his heel with a grin, snickering at the three of them before pulling open the door. "And here we are!"

It was a wide space full of grass and open air big enough for the four of them to run around and do whatever they desired. Sora ran to the center of the space and spun around with a wide grin on his face. He hopped in place with a snicker. "Well, go on!"

Roxas sighed and stepped closer to him. Ventus gave him a reassuring thumbs up, and Riku waited expectantly with crossed arms. Roxas sighed and turned back to the giddy look on Sora's face and held out his hand. A moment later, there was a flash of light as the Keyblade materialized between his fingers. It almost looked like a spear of some kind with the teeth being comprised of four black and white spikes. The hilt was black and had a jagged point on each side, the handle sported a checker pattern, and the key chain hanging from it was an X shape.

Sora's eyes lit up as he gawked, and Riku blinked in surprise. Ventus couldn't help but smirk at their reactions. Sora puffed his cheeks with a pout. "No fair! Yours looks cooler than mine!"

"Then what does yours look like?" Roxas lifted an eyebrow.

"Hehe." Sora held out his hand while rocking on his heels. After a flash, Roxas got to see what he was talking about. Sora's Keyblade looked like a large key, the most common image in people's minds when they hear the term. "I still like mine, but yours looks cooler. So do Riku's and Ven's."

"Oh yeah?"

Riku and Ventus rolled their eyes and summoned their own weapons. They both looked like different kind of key, but a key nonetheless. Riku's had a silver coating with a black handle, and while Ventus's was in the shape of a key, the teeth looked more like half a gear.

Roxas didn't have a chance to open his mouth before Ventus and Sora rushed charged at him. He dodged the brunette but blocked his brother's attack. He blinked in surprise, and Ventus chuckled. "I gotta see what you're made of. It's been ten years, after all."

"Yeah! You are protecting the prince!" Sora turned to the older teen behind them. "Tell 'im, Riku!"

"Well, you're not wrong," Riku replied. "But if he's been sent to protect Ven, he and his friends have to be pretty strong."

"All the more reason to test him!" Sora exclaimed and swung again.

Roxas blocked his attack and barely had enough time to dodge his brother He jumped out of the way and ran towards a corner of the plaza. When he turned around, Ventus pointed his weapon at him. "Aeroga!"

A small blast of wind was hurdling towards him, causing Roxas's eyes to widen. He sliced the blast in half before it could do any sort of damage before clashing with both teens once again.

Riku couldn't help but snort, but he was the first to notice they weren't alone. He glanced around, trying to see who else was with them but coming up with nothing. Something didn't feel right, but Riku didn't know what it was, and it was beginning to worry him.

He decided to ignore it for the time being. He was probably being paranoid and there was nothing to worry about. That's what he wanted to believe, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why I have Roxas wielding Two Become One instead of Oathkeeper and Oblivion is because I just find it weird how it's not his signature Keyblade despite the key chain being his own necklace. Also, given the context of this AU, I don't think it would have made much sense for him to have Oathkeeper and Oblivion.
> 
> I think it's about time to move the plot forward, don't you? Well, there's another chapter or two before the ball begins to roll again. Think of this first batch of chapters setting up the world and introducing characters. Doesn't mean we won't have more introductions in the future. Let me know what you think and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	8. Whispers

Riku barely dodged the small fireball hurling towards him. It almost singed the heel of his foot as he rolled out of the way. Mid roll, he shot a ball of ice towards the brunette on the other end of the training grounds. Sora grinned as a result, getting into a stance as if to deflect it. When it was mere inches from his nose, however, he sliced it in two, leaving behind the tiniest of shards that only glistened in the sun. He chuckled and held his Keyblade at his shoulder. "How's that?"

"That's cool and all," Riku shrugged. "But can you do this?" Riku waved a hand over the blade of his weapon, emitting a blue aura surrounding it. He held in a breath and brought his arm up, and the weapon seemed to be giving off a charge. With a grunt, Riku brought it down, sending five ice shards in Sora's direction.

Sora jumped in surprise and deflected them to the best of his ability, but the last one knocked him off his feet. "Hey!" He whined, and Riku couldn't help but laugh. Sora sat on the ground with a puffed cheek. "Teach me that move sometime, though."

"It takes patience. Something you don't have." Riku teased.

"Yeah I do!" Sora retorted. "I'm the most patient person ever!"

"Are we interrupting something?"

Both of them turned to see a man and a woman sporting Riku and Sora's features respectively approach the slightly scorched area. Sora smiled. "Oh, Mom. Sephiroth," He sprang to his feet and dusted himself off. "Nah. I was just about to learn this new move from Riku!"

"In your dreams, maybe." Riku laughed.

"Hey now, it might be good for him," The woman sat on a nearby ledge. "You shouldn't tease him too much."

"Tifa, if he wasn't your son, you'd be doing the same thing," Riku scoffed with a smile before turning to the brunette. "Well, if anyone could pick it up as fast as they learned it, it's you."

Sora snickered before he turned on his heel towards some of the targets that were in the area. He pointed his Keyblade towards one of them, squinting in concentration with a hum. Riku sat next to Tifa with crossed arms as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Sephiroth remained quiet as she spoke. "You know, when you were little, I wasn't keen on Sora being around you because I was worried about those memories resurfacing."

Sephiroth couldn't hide his frown, and Riku attempted to ignore the sting in his chest as he responded. "Well, I think we're both glad you were proven wrong. It's been 10 years. If they haven't showed up already, then they never will."

"Your father told me the same thing," Tifa chuckled. "I gave in because it would be hard to explain why Sora couldn't see you anymore. He would be sad about that."

"Sad is an understatement. He'd also be pretty angry," Riku watched the other teen give a couple swings to a dummy. "A part of me thinks they'll come back eventually. And if they do, we'll help him like last time."

"We always do."

"Riku~!" Sora whined from across the yard. He puffed out his cheeks with a pout. "Let's go again! The dummies are boring!"

"You want to be beaten again?"

"I won't lose this time!"

Riku rolled his eyes and stood up. He gave an apologetic look to Tifa before turning to the brunette. "If you say so."

"Oh yeah!" Sora sprinted to the middle of the clearing, and RIku followed suit shortly after him.

Sephiroth took his place at Tifa's side with crossed arms, watching the two spar with a hum. "I feel we aren't taking this as seriously as we should." He muttered.

"I think it'll be fine," Tifa reassured. "Aqua has a fail safe just in case."

"Yes, but do you think those memories are going to come back on their own?" Sephiroth pursed his lips. "They're still there. All they need is a little push."

"Are you expecting it to happen?"

"Yes, but I'd rather it not," The man replied. "I don't want to see that boy lose his mind again."

Tifa couldn't help but agree. There wasn't a day when she thought about the nightmare that lasted for three months, the decisions she had to make, and especially the crying and screaming from Sora that would have lasted longer if Riku hadn't been at his beck and call. Tifa was grateful for the two of them --and whoever else-- for the support as she probably would have gone mad otherwise.

The breeze carried a couple leaves across the way. Tifa had to brush the hair out of her face to keep an eye on the two teens. Sephiroth relaxed next to her and closed his eyes with a hum.

Riku lunged towards the other boy with a smirk. It only faded when instead of jumping away, Sora jumped upwards, landing perfectly on the silverette's Keyblade and weighing as light as a feather. Sora giggled and brought his other foot forward, close enough to kick Riku in the chin. Sora hopped off the Keyblade the second Riku pulled back, and when he came to, Sora bowed to him dramatically. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

Sora chuckled and brought a finger to his lips with a wink. "Secret."

"Not for long, it isn't."

Before Tifa could laugh, a shiver crept up her skin. Her eyes went wide and she glanced around. Sephiroth lifted an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing," Tifa shook her head. "I just get the feeling we're being watched."

"Perhaps it's them." The man pointed across the yard. Tifa followed his gaze and spotted Terra and Aqua glancing at the two teens with worry. She wanted to agree with the man, but something felt off. It felt as if there was another pair of eyes on them. But for some reason, it was familiar to her; it was something she hadn't felt since--

Tifa shook her head. "Yeah, you're probably right," She dusted off her clothes as she stood up. "Come in and take a break, you two! I'll treat you to lunch!"

A few ways away, standing on a rooftop was a hooded figure. His face was hidden by a mask as he stared down at the group, specifically to the brunette teen who followed his mother inside with a carefree smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, it's time to move the plot forward a bit.
> 
> I forgot to add Tifa and Sephiroth to my initial worldbuilding post so whoops. Anyway, they're single parents to Sora and Riku, but Sephiroth is the only one of the two who's native to Destiny Islands. Tifa is originally from Scala and one of Cloud's friends, but she moved to the islands after graduating from school cause she wanted a change of pace. Now they're both working in the castle. So that's a little something about them.
> 
> On another note, who's this mysterious figure, and what do they want with Sora?
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	9. Unease

"We'll be back, Dilan!" Ventus waved to the man as he and his brother made their way across the drawbridge heading into town. He pulled Roxas along the walkway, waving at whoever called out to him with a smile. Roxas kept close to him with a lifted eyebrow, wondering what made the other so excited to get out of the castle. He was in a conversation with Sora before he was immediately dragged away by Ventus yelling about something exciting.

"Ven, what's this about?" He couldn't help but ask.

Ventus whirled around with a wide grin. "You've been so busy with the Guard these past few months. I haven't hung out with you in ages!"

"Sorry," Roxas averted his gaze sheepishly. "I wish I could have made time."

"Well, aren't you glad I snuck you out this time?"

Roxas nodded. Once Terra and Aqua had their backs turned, Ventus didn't hesitate to sprint out of his hiding spot and grab his brother by the hand before giving a apologetic look to Sora before darting away. By the time Terra and Aqua turned around, Roxas was gone.

"So, let's have the afternoon to ourselves," Ventus hooked their arms together. "Just the two of us like we used to."

"You mean the times when we would sneak out of our lessons and Aeleus would throw a fit?"

"We're probably the reason his hair started turning gray."

Both of them laughed as Ventus pulled him alongside the road once again with a tight grip on his hand. Roxas kept his other hand on top of his head to stop his hood from falling off as they ran. He could hear his brother's laughter through the wind, becoming more clear when they ran through the underpass. He ignored the looks they received from the citizens who saw them pass while others continued with their business.

Ventus swung his legs while they were sitting on a nearby bench. Both of them had half-eaten sundaes cupped in their hands, and they each had a spoon in his mouth. Ventus tilted his head softly. "It's funny. You being busy all the time. It's like old times."

Roxas lowered his gaze. "When I would be dragged around to all of these important ceremonies because I was taking the throne and you weren't allowed to come with."

"And you refused to go if I couldn't come along."

"Father and Dad didn't like us being so upset, so they caved in and took us both."

Ventus giggled somberly. "I wish we could go back to those times. Before everything crashed and burned around us. Everything was fine until the accident, and then the invasion soon after that."

"So much was thrown at us all at once," Roxas replied. "I'm surprised Father was able to stay sane these past ten years."

"That's the downside of being king," Ventus took another bite out of his ice cream. "You don't have time to be human. Your only job is to smile and wave. Any negative emotion is a sign of weakness. Father's never had a chance to grieve."

The king could hide his emotions almost too well in front of the citizens, but to the residents in the castle, he was an open book. Roxas could remember seeing the pain in his father's eyes when he returned and the somber smiles he happened to catch when he saw him. While he seemed much happier because Roxas was back home, he wasn't fooling anyone.

Roxas was nudged out of his thoughts, and he lifted his head to see his brother gesture towards an archway. Terra and Aqua were stepping into a more shadowy area that no regular person would head towards. The twins glanced at each other and nodded, scarfing down the rest of their snack before scrambling to get off the bench.

They made sure to keep their distance but were close enough to see where they were going. The two knights stepped into a dimly lit underpass, making a sharp turn into a dead-end alley. The twins hid themselves behind a corner, peering into the alley with confusion.

"Are you sure it's okay to not go after Remus?" Terra asked her.

"He's with the prince, so I'm not too worried," Aqua didn't look convinced. "But, this doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it," Aqua replied. "Remus has been back for almost four months. Isn't it strange that nothing has happened to them? What is Xehanort even up to?"

"So, you're saying it was too early to bring him back?"

"I'm not sure of that," Aqua hummed. "We did everything we could to protect them even though we know so little."

"We weren't trying to take any chances, though," Terra placed a hand on her shoulder. "We did everything we could, A. And if something happens, we'll be there. We swore an oath to protect the Royal Family, so that's what we're gonna do."

"I know. Thank you, Terra," Aqua relaxed her shoulders. "But, I feel we should be preparing for something big."

"Should we tell the king?"

"Not yet. Not until I'm fully sure."

From the corner, the twins decided to slink away, having a feeling the conversation would soon be over. Roxas frowned and crossed his arms, looking over at his brother's worried face. "What do they mean they should be preparing for something big? And who's this Xehanort guy?"

"I don't know, but he doesn't sound like a nice person." Roxas replied. He trailed his gaze to the ground and kicked a pebble. "But, from the sound of it, he wants something to do with us. Maybe he's the cause for the invasion."

"No way," Ventus shook his head. "No one can control Heartless."

"That's true," Roxas furrowed his brows. "Still kind of weird."

"If he does show, we can take him." Ventus slipped their hands together with a confident grin. Roxas scoffed at him playfully and returned the smile with his own. This time, he took the lead and guided Ventus along the nearby path, and Ventus stuck close to him with their fingers locked together.

Neither of them saw the hooded figure watching them from the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, it's time for some plot. We're still kinda in fluff/exposition territory but we're getting the ball rolling. Questions will be answered in the coming chapters, and the next chapter has been something I've been meaning to write for a while. As always, comments are greatly appreciated, and I hope you stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	10. Memorial

Gray clouds loomed above Scala Ad Caelum on one particular morning. The sun never shined on this day for the past 10 years. It was either cloudy or a downpour of rain. It served as nothing but a reminder of what transpired.

Lea and Xion shared a glance as they were getting dressed for breakfast. They looked over to Roxas who stared blankly at the window, not making any sort of movements to pull himself together. He was frozen like a statue, only looking up at the sky and hardly making a sigh. Lea shrugged and motioned for the girl to attempt to snap him out of it. Xion slightly grimaced, but she stepped forward to place a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Rox?"

"Huh?" Roxas snapped out of thought and turned to face her. "What's up?"

"You seem out of it," Xion said with concern. "Actually, you're like this every year. Is something wrong?"

Roxas blinked in surprise, looking over to the red-head who had a similar look on his face as he was tying his hair into a ponytail. He frowned. "Yeah. . . This day just brings up bad memories. I'll be okay," He shook off the frown and gave a smile. "Let's hurry before breakfast gets cold." He scampered towards the bathroom without another word.

Roxas tugged on his hood as the three of them stepped down the corridor towards the dining hall. His smile didn't fool his partners as they saw him walking rather stiffly. Neither of them thought to ask Roxas what happened, assuming it was something he never wanted to talk about, but they were his partners; a part of them thought they should know so they could help him in some way.

A door opened, and the trio saw Ventus, Riku, and Sora stepping out of a room. Ventus turned to them sporting a somber gaze similar to his brother's, but he gave a smile anyway. "Morning, guys."

"Morning, Ven."

Lea and Xion saw Sora doing his best to avoid looking at Roxas. The light wasn't visible in his eyes, but they both saw a guilty look resting in his hues. Riku was looking at the brunette with a sad frown and had a hand on his shoulder. Something definitely must have happened for Sora to have that look in his eye.

The twins saw their father sitting at the end of a large dinner table, eyes widening at the empty chair that sat next to him. Terra, Aqua, Tifa, and Sephiroth were at the table as well with their heads lowered to their food-covered plates. They grimaced sadly as the group stepped towards their designated seats. Roxas had to remind himself not to sit across from his brother like he normally did when they were younger, so he settled to the seat next to him. The plate in front of him was surprisingly still steaming hot. He gave another glance towards the rest of the table before picking up his utensils with pursed lips.

"Father, it's still good to eat no matter what day it is." Ventus's voice held a blank tone as he spoke, a tone that shocked Lea and Xion. That only caused the king to frown.

"If I may, Your Majesty," Roxas spoke up formally. "Prince Ventus gave me a rundown of why today's so important. This is my personal opinion, but maybe you should take some time to yourself. It seems like you haven't exactly done that."

The king blinked in surprise as if he hadn't considered it. He lowered his gaze to the table and folded his hands together. "Yes, that does sound nice," He muttered contently. "I'll think about it. Thank you, Roxas."

Roxas smiled at him in response before returning to his food.

None of them had the chance to leave the table after finishing breakfast before Dilan stood before them and bowed. "Majesty, Ansem the Wise has arrived."

"Oh. . ." The king bit his lip. He wasn't expecting the man to arrive this early. He twiddled his fingers and glanced over towards the archway next to him. "I'll be right there. Come along, Ventus. I'm sure Kairi will be glad to see you."

Ventus nodded, pulling Roxas out of his chair by the arm and following his father out of the dining hall. Roxas kept his eyes on his partners as he was led out of the room.

Almost immediately after they left, Sora spat out the food in his mouth, unable to keep anything down as he threw his face into his hands with a shudder. Riku placed a cautious hand on his shoulder, an action that caused Sora to flinch. He threaded both sets of fingers in his hair and pulled. "How can they smile at me after what I did?"

"You didn't do anything, sweetie." Tifa tried to reassure him, standing from her seat next to Sephiroth to attempt to comfort her son.

"Yeah I did," Sora's voice shook. "It's my fault he's gone."

"Sora, what happened wasn't your fault," Aqua replied in a soft tone. "You shouldn't blame yourself."

Before Tifa could even wrap her arms around him, Sora jerked back and stood to his feet with swelled tears and his eyes blown wide. His chair had knocked to the floor with a clatter. "It is my fault! If I wasn't in that building before it exploded, Prince Zack would still be alive! I'm the reason he's dead, for Hearts' sake!"

Lea and Xion gave each other quick glances, but everyone's eyes were either on Sora or elsewhere. The room was silent save for Sora's heavy breathing before he turned on his heel and stormed out of the nearest archway.

Riku stood from his chair. "I'll go after him."

"No," Tifa shook her head. "He needs a minute."

"But--" Riku started, but he cut himself off. He glanced back towards the hall Sora ran into, sighing and slumping his shoulders before returning to his seat.

Roxas saw Ansem the Wise and Kairi both clad in black clothing as he and his family approached them. Ansem the Wise was a man who looked so drastically different from his daughter, people had to wonder how they were even related. He was rather tall for someone his age, almost towering the twins' own father, and had his hair pulled back with amber eyes that seemed to see everything.

Once Ansem saw the three of them approached, he smiled and opened his arms. "Cloud, it is good to see you, my friend. I know how troubling today is."

"Thank you, Ansem," The king turned to the girl next to him. "Nice to see you again, Kairi."

"The pleasure is mine, King Cloud." Kairi curtsied with a smile before she spotted the two boys behind him. She lifted her head and stepped over to them, pulling both of them into a tight embrace which they didn't hesitate to return.

"Kairi, do you mind giving us a moment?" Ansem asked, keeping his eyes on the man next to him. "We'd like to catch up. It's been a few years, after all."

"Oh, of course." Kairi nodded, and she and the two teens stepped down the nearest hallway. Roxas looked back to face the man who had already turned back to his visibly shaking father.

They decided to head to the courtyard to talk without any interruptions only to see Lea and Xion already there sitting at one of the tables talking to one another. Lea lifted his head when he saw the three approach. "Oh, there you are. Breakfast got a little hectic after you left."

"What happened?" Ventus asked as he pulled up a chair.

"Sora seemed really off all morning," Xion replied sadly. "And after you left, he blew up and said something about it being his fault. Something about a Prince Zack."

The trio before them all lowered their heads. Lea lifted an eyebrow. "He must be someone important if that's your reaction."

"Well, he is," Roxas replied. "He's our dad."

Lea and Xion gave each other confused glances. "Well, he's our other dad." Ventus quickly clarified while scratching the back of his head.

"He's King Cloud's husband." Kairi explained sadly. "Today is the day he passed away in an accident."

"Oh. . ." Xion averted her gaze in shame. "I'm sorry. No wonder everyone was so off today. So, it's kind of like a national event?"

"More like a private one for us," Ventus replied. "The accident affected the entire kingdom, but we always have a private ceremony for Dad every year as a way to remember him."

"I'd like to know more about what happened, but I don't think today's the right day for that." Lea kept his gaze on the table.

"It's not exactly something we like to remember." Roxas said somberly.

"Take your time. I got an eternity." Lea placed his hands behind his head with a reassuring smile.

When the sun was setting, there was a large gathering on a flat rooftop that sat behind the middle tower. It was usually for outdoor parties or any other special event. Tonight, it was a memorial.

The patrons stood in a half circle facing the ocean, each person holding a small lantern in their hands. The Royal Guard were near the back and the sides as they normally would. After sulking for most of the day, Sora got some encouragement from Riku to attend despite the guilt still eating away at him. Kairi took her spot at Ventus's side with Roxas on his right. The two kings were standing in front of them with King Cloud glancing at the sky with a somber look across his face.

In front of the crowd was Aqua with her arms at her sides and a Keyblade clutched tightly in her right hand. She held in a breath, relaxing her shoulders before bringing the weapon up and pointing it forward. A speck of light that seemed to grow spawned from the tip, growing to the point where Aqua could probably fit it in her hand.

Aqua began to twirl. The light on the tip of her Keyblade began to follow and leave a trail of rings surrounding her. She stretched out her arms, making waving motions with her hands throughout the dance. Aqua turned on her heel, spun, and bent backwards, raising her Keyblade in the air. The rings around her rose to the tip of her weapon before they shot up in the air in a dazzle of sparks.

As if on cue, the lanterns slowly fluttered to the sky behind her and were carried by the wind. From the corner of his eye, Roxas saw Ansem the Wise place a comforting hand on his father's shoulder. From the occasional choked gasp, Roxas knew he had started crying. But he couldn't blame them; he couldn't ignore his own tears rolling down his cheeks. He felt Ventus grab his hand, and there was a sniffle to his left. Roxas stroked the back of his hand with his thumb as a sort of reassurance as both of them watched the lanterns float higher into the clouds until they disappeared from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, we're going to find out exactly what happened to Zack. I don't mean to keep it under wraps like this, but if I didn't, I'd be spoiling all the twists.
> 
> Also another note: I'm unsure how this current school semester is going to go, so until I'm sure, this story's going to go on hiatus for a bit. Just until I've gotten my footing down and if I have time to work on it. So, I hope you understand. Comments are always appreciated, and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	11. Back Then

It's been a few days since the anniversary, and things have slowly died down. Ventus had to explain to his brother's partners it takes about a few days for everyone to bounce back to some form of normalcy. Kairi and her father returned to Radiant Garden after spending the night after the ceremony, King Cloud went back to work, but everyone knew he was using it as a distraction, Aqua and Terra bounced back faster than Ventus expected, and Sora was finally beginning to smile again.

It was the first time Roxas had been away from his brother for hours at a time since he returned, but a part of him knew it wasn't ideal to interrupt one of Aqua's training sessions. Sora and Riku were also with him with Sora listening intently and Riku having a more relaxed posture on the ground. Ventus had his chin resting in his palm with a scowl. Roxas felt his pain and wanted to think of a way to get him out of there, but he knew better, no matter how much he resented Aqua.

He decided to take a stroll around Scala with Xion and Lea. Sure, he was Ventus's right-hand-man and twin brother, but he and his team were encouraged to take time to themselves --courtesy of Ventus himself-- so Roxas decided to take advantage of that if he was too busy.

They ran into Namine going through her normal rounds of deliveries before returning to the shop for the day. She was greeted with a hello from Xion that was more enthusiastic than she wanted, causing her partners to snicker. Namine either didn't notice or didn't mind since she was happy to talk to the girl regardless. Unfortunately, the conversation couldn't last long, much to Xion's dismay, but Namine had promised they'd be able to talk soon.

Xion's mood didn't lift until they were eating ice cream on one of the outdoor dining areas on the rooftops. The area was almost empty with most of the citizens chatting away below them, so they had whatever privacy they were aiming for. For some reason, Roxas felt something was off with the two of them. Neither Xion or Lea were looking at him, but they had a look in their eyes that was anything but positive. "Your ice cream's melting."

Lea snapped out of thought and glanced at the sticky wetness on his thumb.

"Hey Roxas, do you mind if I asked you something?" Xion sounded unsure, and she didn't make an attempt to get out of the fetal position she was in.

"Sure, what's up?" Now Roxas was even more confused. Lea's ears perked up expectantly.

Xion bit her lip, still keeping her gaze away from the other boy. "How did your father die?"

It was enough for Roxas to frown and lower his head. He turned his gaze back to the half-eaten ice cream in his hand. The look in his eyes made Xion's heart sink. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push any boundaries." She quickly apologized.

Roxas shook his head and pulled on his hood with his free hand. "It's okay. I should have told you earlier."

"We wanted to give you space," Lea replied. "Take your time, though."

Roxas sighed and lifted his gaze to one of the gondolas slowly moving towards one of the smaller towns. He pointed to its destination. "Scala's geography is pretty weird. It's a small island in the middle of the ocean with a ring of water in the middle that separates us and the rest of the kingdom. The castle sits right in the middle, so it's able to see the different towns surrounding it," He stood from the ledge he was sitting on, spinning around until he pointed in another direction. "There's a town west of here that no one goes to. Not since the accident."

"What happened?"

"It was a few months before Ventus and I were separated. Father and Dad were visiting to support Tifa with a new project she wanted to show off," Roxas began to explain, but his tone went somber. "Sora was there too. I don't exactly remember the details, but a fire broke out at one of the theaters, and Sora was in it for some reason," He sat back down and brought his knees to his chest. "Dad loved helping people and wanted to make them smile. Father liked to call him a puppy. And he and Tifa got along well, so you can already guess what he did when he found out about Sora."

"He went to save him?" Xion asked with a cheekful of ice cream. Lea's face went sour.

"Then. . ." Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. "The building exploded out of nowhere. Everyone thought it was weird. Hearts, I think it's weird. Sora survived, but he didn't come out unscathed. Dad didn't make it. Took him the whole day to find him under the rubble."

Roxas didn't even notice his partners scooting closer to him. Lea had a hand on his shoulder and Xion held onto his free hand. Roxas swallowed the last of his treat with a sniffle. "Ven and I were 6."

* * *

_"Hey Remy, what's that black stuff over there?"_

_Remus's head perked up at his brother's voice. Ventus was heading towards the window with curious steps and a confused look on his face. Remus pulled himself off of the floor, abandoning the toy train set in front of him as he scampered to the glass, pulling Ventus's fingers into his own. He tilted his head with a lifted eyebrow at a dark cloud rising from across the river. "That's smoke, Ven. And a lot of it too."_

_"That's where Father and Papa are, right?" Ventus sounded worried. "Are they okay?"_

_"Yeah, totally. They're okay!" Roxas tried to reassure him despite not knowing himself. He tightened his hold on Ventus's hand with Ventus squeezing him back. He wanted to believe his parents were safe; they had to be. Maybe they weren't anywhere near the smoke._

_Their eyes widened at the faint boom and the cloud that seemed to grow in size. Remus swore he heard faint screams along with it, and his heart filled with dread. "Remus?" Ventus sounded scared, and without looking at him, Remus could see the tears begin to swell, and a hand clung to his shirt sleeve._

_"They're okay. They gotta be." He didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or Ventus._

_Neither of them had time to dwell on it. Aqua's voice was behind them in a matter of minutes as she attempted to usher them away from the window, trying to comfort them with her own words that didn't exactly help the sour mood. The castle staff running around in a panic only had the twins fear the worst._

* * *

Xion had her head on Roxas's shoulder while Lea had his head resting on top of his hood. Their fingers were laced together as they sat in silence. There were dried tears on Roxas's cheeks from the memory, and he sniffled again. "It hasn't been the same since. And then that attack a few months after, then Ven and I--" He took in a breath. "Everything fell apart all at once, and we didn't know how to deal with it. Hearts, I thought we were being punished for something. Imagine waking up one morning and being told you won't see your family again. How messed up is that? We didn't even have the chance to process that."

The longer he ranted, the more his voice broke as if he was letting out the feelings he'd bottled up for years. Xion and Lea didn't even attempt to talk. Their job was to listen and support him, so they let him speak.

Roxas was shaking when he finished. The ice cream stick that was in his mouth had slipped into his lap. Xion was the first to speak up. "Wanna head back to the castle? I'm sure Ventus is wondering where you are."

Roxas nodded, wiping his tears and taking in a few breaths. "Yeah. Yeah, let's do that."

"Must have felt good getting that off your chest." Lea smirked as he stretched.

"It did, actually." Roxas took the girl's hand to help him to his feet. He stepped off the ledge to head for the door behind them. Roxas couldn't exactly pinpoint why he felt lighter, but it was a good feeling. A feeling he didn't want to let go of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at the story again after getting all of my work done. The semester's finally over so I can go back to working on it. Luckily, I already have the next 9 or so chapters planned out, so I hope you look forward to it. Comments are always appreciated and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	12. Sweet Dreams

Instead of his bedroom in the east wing of Scala's castle, Sora woke up to a bright light in his peripheral vision. With a groan, his eyes fluttered open, squinting to not blind himself, only to be greeted with a clear, blue sky. Sora also realized he was laying on top of a hard, wet surface. His eyes slowly widened as he sat up, glancing around to see large, salt-like structures connecting to each other like building blocks. Sora pursed his lips with a hum, rising to his feet and shaking the water off his hands.

It's been three weeks since he started having this dream, three weeks of him waking up in whatever place this was. It was something Sora kept to himself. He didn't want anyone to worry about him since it was probably nothing. It was three weeks of the same routine: he wakes up, wanders around for who knows how long, and then he wakes up the following morning with nothing inherently wrong.

Except, this time, it felt different. Sora didn't exactly know why. Everything looked the same. The sun was in the same spot, the buildings were put together the same, he wore his usual guard attire, and he woke up in the same wet spot in the middle of 6 pillars. Nothing changed, so why did it feel like it did? Sora hated not knowing.

There was movement on the ledge above him. At least, Sora thought there was. It was out of the corner of his eye and it could probably be something he imagined. Even so, he wanted to check it out. Sora darted towards the ledge, taking advantage of the lack of gravity and jumped high. He waved his arms frantically, trying to balance himself and make sure he safely landed on the ledge. He wobbled when his feet touched the surface, keeping his arms out for a moment before dropping them.

Turns out, it wasn't his imagination. There was a figure on the other side of the ledge walking away from him. Sora tilted his head in confusion, stepping towards the figure to close the distance between them. As far as Sora knew, he was always the only one here. Why is this person in his dreams, whoever it was? Sora never dreamed of anybody, so why now? And why was Sora not afraid of him?

The figure stood at a dead end, letting Sora get a better look at him. They looked to be around his age, and they were dressed in all black, but there was a hood over their head, so Sora couldn't see their face. Sora held in a breath. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer. They didn't even turn around. It didn't make Sora feel any less confused. "Do you know what this place is? How did you get in my dream? And. . . why do you feel so familiar?"

Still no answer. Sora's frown only grew, and there was now a visible glare on his face. There was something about them that made Sora believe they've met before, but how? Sora made a mental list of everyone he knew: Ventus, Roxas, King Cloud, his mother, Sephiroth, Axel, Xion, Aqua, Terra, Riku, Prince Zack--

A sting of pain ripped through his skull. Sora winced, clutching the side of his head with a whimper, and there was a loud ringing in his ears. When he looked up, the figure moved, but only to turn their head. The side of their face was hidden by the hood, but Sora could make out the mask covering their eyes. The ringing and the pain grew, causing Sora to whine and hold the other side of his head. "Who. . . Who are you?"

They didn't say a word, but a blinding flash of light came from above them, and everything went white.

A hand shoved him from behind and Sora jolted awake, back in his own bed and feeling hotter and sweatier than he was supposed to. Sora heaved, feeling dizzy from the heat, and he curled up with a groan.

"Sora?" Riku's voiced called out to him from behind him with a soft tone. He turned his head to see Riku with his arm stretched out with worried look Sora hated seeing on him. Apparently, the shove came from him. "Are you alright?"

A part of Sora wanted to tell him no, that he wasn't. A part of him wanted to tell him about the dream he's been having and the person in black who recently appeared. But his stubbornness took the better of him. He scratched the back of his damp locks with a chuckle. "Yeah, I'm okay," He lied through his teeth. "Just had a rough night. I'm okay now!"

Sora gave his best smile when he saw Riku wasn't totally convinced. He was still hot, but he hopped out of bed and stood proudly. However, he stumbled and had to hold onto the edge of the bed, wincing at the dizziness. Riku held both of his arms out to stop Sora from falling over, but Sora continued to smile. "See? I feel disgusting, though, so I'm gonna get myself cleaned up." Before Riku could respond, Sora rushed out of the room, still stumbling over his feet.

Sora was curled up in the bathtub, hoping the water would help him cool off and think. He never thought to worry about the dreams until now. Who was that person, and why was he there? Maybe Kingdom Hearts was trying to tell him something, and for a moment, Sora believed it was with distaste. He didn't consider himself very bright, so if it was a vision for him to figure out, he was sure he wouldn't understand it. Sora sank into the water until it reached his nose. It had to be someone he knew, right? But Sora couldn't think of anyone he didn't know by name. Their presence also felt. . . comforting, as if it was something Sora had missed, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Sora tangled his fingers in his hair. "Should I know you? Please, tell me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sora's situation is something I've wanted to write about for the longest time. While I am keeping it a mystery, I'm happy the story's finally getting to his subplot. Well, I wouldn't really call it that since it ties into the main plot in a way. I also want to pace this story so it doesn't seem like there isn't a chance for a breather, but if you want me to speed things up, let me know. 
> 
> (Also small author’s note. This chapter was meant to go up yesterday, but there was an explosion downtown in my city, and AT&T (my internet provider) was most likely targeted and I had (and still have) no internet in my house. I’ve had to do some loopholes to actually get this chapter out. I’m sorry for the short delay.)
> 
> Otherwise, comments are always appreciated, and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	13. To The Ball

Ventus slouched in his chair with a frown, glaring at the envelope in his hand with a bored expression. He held it up to the light coming from the window behind him, and his thumb slipped under the ripped seal of Radiant Garden's insignia. Ventus flipped open the flap a couple times, peeking at the letter inside for a moment before closing the envelope and sitting upright. He puffed out a cheek with a dissatisfied hum.

"Something wrong, Ventus?" He heard Xion's voice and lifted his head to see her at his side with her hands behind her back and a confused look on her face. "If you don't mind me asking, what's in the envelope?"

Ventus shook his head. "It's nothing big. Just an invitation to the annual ball in Radiant Garden. King Ansem hosts one every year."

Xion's eyes lit up and she quickly took the seat next to him. "A ball sounds fun! I've never been to one before!"

"You're not missing out," Ventus huffed. "It's just a bunch of noblemen and women being snobby and gossiping for no reason. The only thing I enjoy is talking to Kairi, but I don't even think it's worth it since I talk to her all the time."

"It can't be that bad. If you don't like it that much, you can choose to not go."

"I did that once," Ventus slumped his shoulders and puffed out a cheek. "The next morning, I got a passive-aggressive note from King Ansem that was super uncomfortable to read, so I'd rather not do that again."

Xion couldn't help but giggle. "I guess you don't exactly have a choice, then."

Ventus grumbled in response and covered his face in his hands. Xion placed a comforting hand on his shoulder with a sympathetic smile. "I wish there was a way for me to be there without really being there."

A lightbulb lit up in his head and he shot up with wide eyes. Xion lifted an eyebrow before Ventus jumped out of his seat and dashed towards the hall. "What the-- Ventus!"

"Do you know where Roxas is?" Ventus sounded excited.

"Y-Yeah, he's training with Sora and Riku."

"Thanks!" Ventus darted into the hall immediately after the response.

Xion blinked in surprise before scampering after him, not clear of what he thought of. But Ventus had a suspicious grin on his face, and he snickered while running through the corridor. "Ventus, what are you planning?"

"You'll see." Ventus laughed and skidded around the corner.

When they reached the yard, Sora and Roxas were locked in combat and trying to push each other back while Riku was dodging the attacks being thrown at him by Lea. Ventus locked eyes onto his brother, and his grin widened immensely, and it only made Xion worry. With no hesitation, he headed into a sprint towards the two boys, summoning his own weapon and getting in between them. Roxas, realizing there was a third party between he and Sora, immediately backed away and left Ventus to block Sora's attack. He turned around to face his twin. "I've been looking for you."

Roxas lifted an eyebrow and dismissed his Keyblade. "Do you need something?"

Ventus held up the envelope as if it was a trophy. Sora tilted his head and peeked over the boy's shoulder. His eyes landed on the broken seal. "Is that the invitation you get from King Ansem every year?"

Riku gave Lea one of his chakrams back with a confused look. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Ven, what's this about?" Roxas looked worried.

"Can you do a teeny, tiny favor for me?" Ventus brought the envelope closer. "Do you think you can take my place at King Ansem's ball? I don't wanna go and I don't want another letter from him."

"I didn't think it was too bad last year," Sora commented. "It was good to see the Relations Committee again."

"You're not me, Sora," Ventus responded blankly. "You don't have to be in the middle of a gossip group."

"So you want me to go instead?"

"Please Remy? Do it for me." Ventus was giving him the puppy-dog eyes --a trick he attempted on their parents multiple times before they were split-- and his bottom lip quivered in a pout. Xion was also giving him a similar face for some reason.

Roxas rolled his eyes and took the invitation from his brother. "Fine, but don't expect me to do this again."

Suddenly, Ventus and Xion had their arms wrapped around his neck, both of them jumping in place. "Thank you, Roxy!" Xion squealed happily.

"I'll pay you back, I promise!" Ventus squeezed him tighter.

Roxas sighed with a smile and glanced over to his other partner and Riku. Riku only shrugged and dismissed his Keyblade as he padded to Sora's side, and Lea was trying to hold back a laugh.

Roxas now found it weird to go somewhere without anyone suspecting who he was. He had gotten used to being known as Prince Ventus's hooded guardian, so it still freaked him out a little when someone looked at him and didn't think anything was off.

There he was, standing the ballroom in Radiant Garden wearing an uncomfortable tux he never thought he would wear again. Xion and Lea were at his sides in matching outfits that held a red, black, and white color scheme. Roxas felt a rock sink into his stomach as he watched the partygoers dance around and chat about who knows what. He hadn't even been there for a solid five minutes before starting to feel uncomfortable. He now knew how Ventus felt every year.

"This is a lot different than what happens at Scala." Xion's voice was a bit shaky, and she kept fiddling with the lace at the hem of her dress.

"Did King Ansem have parties like this when you were younger?" Lea asked.

Roxas shook his head as they stepped further into the room. "Ventus said King Ansem started doing these about nine years ago. It was originally an idea to cheer up Father after what happened to Dad. Then it just became an annual thing for him."

"Seems like an annual thing," Xion replied. "It looks like it's been going on for much longer, though."

"Prince Ventus, it's good to see you again." It took Roxas a second to realize the voice speaking was referring to him. He turned to see a man who looked much younger than his actual age bowing to him.

Xion and Lea glanced at each other in slight panic as Roxas scrambled to find words. "Uh nice to see you too," He cleared his throat. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Why certainly," The man replied. "Although, I'm looking forward to your dance with the princess. You both seem to make it more extravagant every year."

"It's always Her Highness who takes the lead. I just follow her steps," Roxas started to sound more confident. "I'd also like to see what she'll come up with this time."

"I simply can't wait." With another bow, the man stepped away to another small group in the room. Roxas rubbed one of his arms and turned to the duo behind him. Xion gave him an awkward thumbs up and a smile, and Lea scratched the back of his head.

Half an hour later, once the trio had actually settled into the party and Lea had split from the party to explore, there was a loud blare from trumpets coming from somewhere Roxas couldn't pinpoint. The room went silent, and all eyes were facing the staircase at the front of the room that led to a pair of double doors. Roxas figured it was the special entrance Ventus was talking about earlier that day.

The doors opened and Kairi stepped out into the light. She was in a strapless dress that reached to the floor fading into a gradient of white, pink and purple. There were curls at the tips of her hair and --as Roxas expected to see-- her tiara was seated neatly on top of her head.

Knowing Kairi, she was too smart to not be able to tell the two apart, so Roxas wasn't exactly worried. He was more worried about messing up and damage whatever reputation his brother had at these parties.

"Rox, I think you're supposed to lead her to the floor." Xion whispered in his ear. Roxas quickly realized that's what everyone was waiting for. He panicked, almost stumbling to the front in a rush. Kairi had to stifle a laugh before the other boy held his hand out. Kairi took it gently, and she was guided to the middle of the floor where everyone spread out. The two teens got into position; Kairi had her free hand on Roxas's shoulder, and Roxas placed a hand on her waist.

The two of them swayed to the melody once it filled the air. As Ventus told him, he followed Kairi's lead as she seemed to know what she was doing. She kept her eyes on him with a soft smile. "Ven didn't want to come?"

"He wanted me to suffer." Roxas replied casually.

Kairi giggled. "I figured. He didn't seem to like these parties," They padded and twirled across the floor. "Are you doing alright so far?"

"It's not as bad as he's making it out to be. Xion seems to be enjoying herself. Lea wandered off somewhere, but he said he'll check back later." Roxas dipped the girl and quickly pulled her back up. "But, this is nice. Makes me want to fill for him again."

"Don't make a habit out of it."

Both of them laughed as they continued to waltz. Roxas wasn't going to try to pay attention to his surroundings; if he did, chances were he'd accidentally step on Kairi's feet and ruin the dance. But he spotted Lea's hair out of the corner of his eye, but he wasn't sure if Lea was looking at them or not.

There was a small group that kept Kairi's interest: three adults --two men and a woman-- and a girl who looked a few years older than him. One of the men had his arms crossed over his chest with a grumpy expression, whispering to the brunette woman who looked surprised. The girl next to her stuck close to the man with the nasty scar between his eyes.

With the way Kairi was looking at them, they must be close. Roxas wasn't going to dwell on it as he twirled her a final time before Kairi attempted to slow them down. Roxas followed her lead, and soon they came to a complete stop as the music faded. A moment later, applause rang out from the patrons. The two teens backed away a few steps. Just as Kairi curtsied to him, Roxas bowed with her. They kept their eyes on each other with warm smiles, and that was when Roxas knew the rest of the night would go smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have gotten this finished sooner, but alas, internet. Anyway, having the boys switch clothes is something I've been thinking about adding and I didn't know where to put it. I also wanted an excuse for some rokai interactions since I thought it would be nice. Oh yeah, keep the swapping clothes thing jotted down somewhere. It's gonna come back later on. Comments are always appreciated, and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My Asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	14. The Islands

"How would you feel about a trip, Ventus?"

Breakfast had been relatively silent until the king's words. Ventus lifted his head in confusion, two seconds away from eating another forkful of food until his name came up. He sat up straighter while the others at the table turned to the king. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking about what Roxas suggested about taking some time to myself," The older man replied, and Roxas perked up as a response. "And I thought it would be nice."

"It'd be a nice change of pace," Tifa replied from his right. "I've seen how exhausted you've been these past few weeks. Where were you thinking of going?"

The king hummed. "I was thinking about paying Destiny Islands a visit."

"Really!?" Sora exclaimed in surprise. He was more focused on his plate until he heard the words. He turned to his mother. "We're really going back!?"

"I think King Cloud decides whether you can come or not," Riku retorted. "It's his vacation."

"I don't mind, actually," King Cloud spoke again. "This is a family trip, yes, but as far as I'm concerned, Tifa --and by extent Sora-- are family to me. Besides, What reason could I have to not let Sora visit his birthplace? And it's been far too long since we've been there."

"How long are we talking?" Lea asked.

The king crossed his arms to think. "Hearts, it was years ago. When Prince Zack and I helped Tifa and Sephiroth move off of the islands," He couldn't help but smile. "I had cancelled all of my meetings to make sure the fi-four of them were settled in Scala. You were probably too young to remember, Ventus."

"If you're about to tell me embarrassing stories, I'd rather you not say it in front of Roxas." Ventus pouted.

"Of course. I wasn't planning on it. But do you want to go?"

"Why would you assume I'd say no?" Ventus smiled before turning to the duo on the opposite side of his brother. "We have a private beach house on the islands, so there's no need to worry about sharing it. And you don't have to wear that hood all the time." He pulled on Roxas's jacket for emphasis.

"Is it really okay if I come along?" Sora asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"I'm not stopping you." King Cloud said to him with a smile.

"Sweet!" Sora bounced in his seat with a grin and hooked an arm over Riku's shoulders. "And don't think you're not coming too, Mister! I'm sure Sephiroth wouldn't mind."

"Since we're going to the islands, does that mean I need to bring a swimsuit?" Xion pondered. "Will we be able to get a watermelon?"

"We're going to a beach, so I think that answers your question." Roxas laughed.

While the conversation delved into what to prepare, Terra and Aqua were off to the side listening in. Terra was leaning against the wall with a laid-back expression, but Aqua had a visible frown and crossed her arms. She furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "Is this a good idea?"

"I don't see the problem," Terra shrugged. "His Majesty deserves a vacation after everything that's happened. Are you saying they shouldn't?"

"Of course not," Aqua replied. "I just want them to be careful. One small misstep and everyone will know Remus isn't actually dead."

"If you're so worried, then why don't we go with them?" Terra suggested. "You could make sure no one finds out about Remus. Besides, we haven't been outside Scala since Eraqus took us to the countryside when we were kids. It could be good for us."

Aqua hummed and closed her eyes. "You're right. It's no good for me to imagine the worst and not make sure it doesn't happen," She huffed. "I guess we should tell the king. We could tell him we're going as extra protection, but he doesn't exactly need that with Remus's group of friends."

"It won't stop you, anyway." Terra chuckled and followed his partner further into the room with a stretch. A part of him wanted to hope Aqua would stop worrying about Remus and take some time to relax, but in the back of his mind, he knew that wouldn't be entirely possible.

* * *

Destiny Islands lived up to its name: the sun reflecting on the water's surface and making it glisten, the warm, sandy beaches that stretched across the island, the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline. It was scenery Roxas wasn't familiar with, but it felt rather. . . calming, peaceful, as if whatever he was worried about didn't matter at the moment.

Sora and Riku were racing across the beach, kicking up sand with every step. Sora had his arms stretched out with a grin while Riku was laughing at his side. Lea and Xion were waist-deep in the water, splashing each other with playful yelps. His father and Tifa were relaxing inside the house, and Ventus was stretched out next to him on the patio.

What surprised him the most was Terra and Aqua tagging along for the trip. The two were walking along the shoreline. Terra was happily enjoying some lemonade while Aqua looked rather tense. Roxas couldn't exactly hear their conversation, but he wanted to assume Terra was telling her to relax because of the carefree attitude he had.

"Hey Remy?"

"Hm?" Roxas turned to the other boy splayed out across the chair.

Ventus flailed his arms with a whine as he sat up and stretched. "I'm in the mood for watermelon. Wanna head into town to grab some?"

Right. There was a town they passed when they arrived on the islands the night before. The locals seemed friendly enough and didn't really mind or care that the royal family was visiting. And if Ventus wanted to stretch his legs, Roxas couldn't exactly stop him.

Roxas stood up and stretched. "Sure, we can make a trip. Just need to tell Father and Tifa where we're heading."

"Oh, and don't forget your hat," Ventus warned. "The locals don't know as much as everyone else, but they'll still question why there's two of us."

Roxas had to agree. They knew little about the incident and while no one questioned why there was one prince and not two, Roxas didn't want to risk anyone asking questions. "Then, I'll tell Father and we'll be on our way."

Ventus nodded and watched his brother step inside the house. He got to his feet and straightened out his clothes. "Ah, I should probably tell everyone else where we're heading to." With a step on the sand, he scampered towards the shoreline with his arms stretched out and a grin spread across his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of it is an excuse to write a beach episode, but it's mainly because the royal family does need a breather after not being able to relax for a decade. I think I prefer writing stuff where the characters just vibe and have fun, and I think that's why not a lot of plot stuff has happened, but we're getting there. As always, comments are appreciated, and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My Asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	15. Unexpected Guest

"Y'know, this seems like a fun, little town to live in." Xion commented happily as she and her teammates stepped across the dirt path back to the house. She was carrying a bag of pineapple and swinging it against her leg. Lea had his hands tucked in his pockets while Roxas was using both of his arms to carry a watermelon. "We should come back sometime and visit. Just the three of us."

"You sure we'd be allowed to do that?" Lea lifted an eyebrow. "I doubt King Cloud or the Guard would let all three of Ven's guards go on vacation."

"He'll have Sora and Riku. They'll be fine," Xion waved off. "It's not like Ven can't take care of himself. He's been training too."

"You just wanna stay here, don't you?" Roxas asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Xion had a sheepish smile on her face as she lowered her gaze. "I didn't go out much as a kid, even after I became part of the Organization. When we first came to Scala, I wanted to do nothing but explore, but I couldn't. Not then, anyway."

"Oh yeah. You came from the city, didn't you?"

"Yup. We were pretty closed off from the rest of the world, too," Xion replied. "Not that anyone couldn't go anywhere. My father wouldn't allow it."

"Think your old man needs to lay off a little?"

"Kinda, but I think it's a way to show he cares," Xion lifted her head. "After all, if he planned on keeping me away from the world, I wouldn't have met you two and everyone else."

"You got that right." Roxas laughed.

The three of them hadn't made two steps into the house before they were immediately rushed by a blonde blur. Ventus had made a beeline right for his twin and yanked the hat over his eyes in a panic. Xion and Lea stumbled back in surprise and Roxas yelped. "Ven, what the--"

"It's Braig," Ventus hissed and tried to force the hat over his nose. "Keep your face hidden."

"Braig?" Xion's eyes widened. "What's he doing here? And how did he know we were here?"

"I don't know, but he just showed up all of a sudden," The prince looked worried. "Hearts, I never liked that guy. He always pops up out of nowhere and pretends he was there the whole time. It's creepy."

"Did he say why he was here?" Lea asked.

"Nice of you to talk behind my back like that."

Ventus nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Braig's voice behind him. He turned to see Terra and Aqua trailing behind the older man in confusion. Ventus laughed nervously and grinned. "Didn't mean to run off like that. Mind telling my guards why you're here? You didn't tell us you were coming."

"By the time I sent a letter, I would have been here already," Braig shrugged. "Seemed like a waste of time. Besides, I was already on the Islands, and I heard you were all on your own little vacation. So I decided to drop by."

For some reason, Roxas didn't believe him, but he kept quiet. Whatever vibes Braig decided to give off that day weren't good vibes. While he couldn't figure out why, Roxas knew thinking about it would only sour his mood. From the look on Aqua's face, she had the same idea.

"Well, you showed up just in time," Lea flashed a smile. "We're about to have lunch if you want to join us."

"I would, but I'm still stuffed from the lunch I had," Braig laughed. "Besides, I wouldn't want to intrude on your little outing."

"Any other time, you'd love to." Roxas heard his brother mutter under his breath. Ventus still wasn't looking at him.

Braig gave him a blank look, and Ventus immediately shrouded behind the two teens. He then shrugged, winked at the rest of the group, and squeezed between Lea and Xion so he could exit the house. Ventus pursed his lips. "For Hearts' sake, who put him in the Guard?"

"That's something you should ask Eraqus," Terra replied. "He may be retired, but the Guard still goes to him about new recruits are such. Braig showed up about seven years ago."

Roxas lifted an eyebrow and glanced over to his partners. Xion had an equally confused look, but Lea was looking elsewhere with an unhappy expression. He shook it off and the smile returned. "Nah, let's not worry about it. Let's eat." With that, he strode into the kitchen.

* * *

Roxas sat on the railing and swung his legs as he watched Ventus splash around the waves. Sora was trying to dunk him under the water, and Riku was laughing and watching the show. His father and Tifa were walking along the shoreline while Aqua and Terra were inside making dinner for the night.

"This is nice," Lea was stretched out on the chair behind him. "You need to suggest more vacations like this, Roxy. It was needed."

Xion nodded from next to the boy. "The King looks more at ease. Let's hope Scala managed without us for the past few days."

"The kingdom won't burst into flames just because the royal family left for a few days," Lea shrugged off the comment. "Too bad we're not saying here a little longer.

"We can't stay here forever," Roxas laughed. "Though, it would be nice." He turned back to the three in the waves. Riku had pulled Sora off of the prince and threw him further in the water. Ventus was cackling and holding his stomach while Sora pushed the older boy with a laugh of his own. Roxas closed his eyes with a sigh. While he wanted to relax, Terra's words still lingered in his mind. It was a little unsettling being informed of the changes made when he was gone. But that didn't bug him as much as knowing how long Braig had been around. Seven years ago. . .

Roxas shook his head. It wasn't the time to think about it. He'll worry about it later, once he was back in the groove of things when they returned home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask why this was harder to write, but it was. I guess it's because nothing really happens so I really don't know how to pad it out to fill my "1000 word" quota. I'm hoping the next chapters will be easier since they're not "fluff" chapters, at least to me they're not. Anyway, comments are always appreciated, and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My Asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


	16. Omens

Sora had gotten used to his mysterious dreams. Yes, he was still wallowing in confusion about why he was having them and what they could mean. But instead of being frustrated, he thought to use it as a learning experience. Over time, he enjoyed exploring, jumping and spinning on the salt pillars, running across the puddles and kicking water with every step, and finding something new with every visit. Sometimes, he wondered if he should tell anyone. No, if he told anyone, they would only coddle him like they did after the accident. This was only something he knew about.

That is, until that masked person showed up.

They only showed up once and never came back. Sora wanted to assume it was a one and done situation and he didn't have to worry about him anymore. That unfortunately didn't last long.

Instead of welt, salt pillars and structures, Sora woke up on a sandy beach underneath a night sky. Or, Sora assumed it was night. There were no stars, just an empty dark void staring down at him. Sora blinked with a grumble, flexing his fingers through the black sand. He sat up and came face to face with murky waves crashing on the shoreline before him. But Sora wasn't focusing on that. He was focusing on the person standing on top of the water.

There they was. The masked person. Sora didn't think he would see them again. But, where did they come from, and why haven't they shown up since then? Sora got to his feet with a soft grunt, shaking the sand off of his clothes and peering at the shoreline again. The figure had their back turned to him, same as last time. Sora was a little annoyed, more confused than anything. The last time he spoke to this person, they didn't answer, and they barely turned their head to look at him.

Sora assumed the same would occur, but that didn't stop him. He took a step forward, the sand softly crunching under his feet. He started flexing his fingers again, curling them into fists and releasing them over and over until he reached the waves. How this person was standing on top of the water, Sora had no idea, but he wanted to believe he could do the same. He put out a cautious foot forward, squinting as it touched the surface but not sinking and leaving a ripple. Sora blinked and took his other foot off of the sand behind him. Then, he slowly started stepping towards the other.

Of course, Sora didn't get too close. He half-expected the headache he endured last time, but it wasn't pricking at his skull as it was before. He was only a few feet away, watching the person keep their gaze on the moon across the horizon. The light shone on the person's mask, but Sora was still unable to make out the face underneath it. 

Sora hummed and pursed his lips. "I never thought I would see you again." He sounded a little hopeful. Maybe he could get some answers if they responded to him.

Unfortunately, much to his disappointment, there wasn't a reaction. But, Sora had expected as much. He kept his hands at his sides. Sora didn't know if he wanted to try again, but he also didn't want to spend the rest of this dream in awkward silence.

Sora placed his hands behind his back. "I dunno how you got here or why you came back. You still feel like someone I should know, but we've never met before." Once again, nothing. Sora didn't know if this person could hear him or he was just being ignored. "Well, whichever it is. I should introduce myself. I'm Sora."

It was such a small movement, but Sora spotted his lips thin into a line. Instead of pouting, he smiled. "So you can hear me. Can you not talk?"

No answer. No other movement, either. Sora didn't know if that answered his question or not, but he was going to try and work with it. "I'm gonna say you can't right? Well, that's okay. I don't mind." And Sora was telling the truth. He'd find a way to communicate with the other somehow.

Sora began to sway gently. "So, is there a way for me to know your name? I told you mine." He didn't know how to get the other's name, but hopefully they could come up with an idea.

Sora swore he saw the other's mouth moving, but no sound came out. Instead, there was a loud ringing in his ear again. Sora winced at the sharp pain in his skull, holding his head in his hands with a whimper. He tried to look at the person again, but their mouth wasn't moving anymore and the pain grew. "Again. . . Why?" Sora whined through gritted teeth. If this masked individual showed up again, there was no doubt in Sora's mind that he'd suffer from another migraine the next time they meet.

A light began to shine out of the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned to the moon before them and noticing it was getting brighter and brighter. Sora couldn't tell if it was also getting closer, but he didn't have much time to dwell on it, not with the pounding headache and the light now almost blinding him. Sora squinted and turned back to the person next to him, unfazed by the brightness heading for them and remaining still. "Who. . . are you?" Sora didn't get the chance to possibly receive an answer before everything went white around him.

When he awoke, Sora quickly realized he wasn't in his bedroom. He blinked at the light-colored ceiling above him, attempting to move one of his arms before realizing one of them was trapped under something. Sora turned to his left, his eyes widening slightly to see Riku at his bedside, his head nestled next to his hip and their hands intertwined.

Suddenly, Sora began to think back to how he got there. One second, he was in the training grounds sparing with Riku and Ventus for the afternoon, and the next, he woke up on the sand. He must have blacked out somehow, but more importantly, he almost scared Riku half to death. That was enough to make him feel guilty. It was like the last time he was bedridden like this.

Sora flung his free arm over his eyes with a sigh, curling his hand into a fist as more thoughts ran through his mind once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sora's been having these weird thoughts lately. I really just wanted to write another dream chapter. I always get super excited when I look at my notes and I see that the next chapter is about Sora and his dreams. I promise they're here for a reason. Comments are always appreciated, and stay tuned!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My Asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when you're addicted to the Data Greetings. I will pay Nomura $20 for more characters, poses, locations, whatever. This is probably the only way I can visualize this AU cause I can't draw to save my life. Please let me know what you think in the comments cause this AU has taken over my life.
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My Asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


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